When plans go awry
by Aphiopsyduck
Summary: To get the girl of his dreams, he teams up with an unexpected ally... Rated for potty mouths...
1. Prologue: What is going on?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I just bought… :o) Prologue: What is going on? 

It happened much too quickly.

One minute he was standing there making his request, the next his back was to a tree and his face was inches from poisonous claws.

He tried not to sigh out loud and kept his mask of indifference.

"You shall not touch her—"

"That was not what I asked." His behavior had been surprising, to say the least.

"No matter. The answer is still no." The hand around his neck squeezed. Poison drifted closer to his face.

He struggled to breathe and keep his emotions under control. Maybe he could finish explaining… "Let me…finish… The hanyou—"

Claws stopped. Poison slowly dissipated. Hand stopped squeezing. Head cocked to the side. He looked curious. 

He waited for a response from him that deep down he was not really expecting but hoped for nonetheless.

As expected, his captor made no move. He sighed. "The hanyou," he began again, "is becoming a problem. I merely required your assistance in the matter."

"That was not what you asked for, human." His hand glowed green once more.

_This is difficult_. How to explain? "Very well. I shall rephrase my question. I need your help."

"Why would I, Lord Sesshoumaru, want to help a human?"

He did not want to point out his current choice of companionship and risk poison or strangulation—or both—again, so he kept that thought to himself. He said instead, "Because it would be mutually beneficial. The child—"

_Oops_… Hand squeezed again, poison coming closer… He had to think… "The young lady would not be hurt… The miko would not allow it…" 

_Aha_. He stopped again. "She is nothing more than a lowly human." 

"Who has adopted a young kitsune as her cub." _Among other things, _he thought as he glanced at where his arm should be…

One of the youkai lord's eyebrows cocked. _Incredible_, he thought, _he can show emotions_… "Explain."

"From what I understand, he's an orphan. Inu—erm, the hanyou and Lady Kagome saved him from the Thunder Brothers, and he tagged along with them. He acts like she's his mother, and she takes care of him and protects him in battle." _And from Inuyasha…_ "All I want from you is to borrow the young lady for a few days. She will be essential to the plan."

The youkai lord stared at him. _Time to pull out all the stops_… "The young lady IS human, Lord Sesshoumaru. Lady Kagome is also human. And educated. She could help you—"

"I, Lord Sesshoumaru, do not need the help of a human."

_Missing the point, just like Inuyasha…_ "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama, you do. Your young lady is growing up quickly, and not even the Great Lord of the Western Lands can teach her all that she needs to learn." Time to go for the kill… "Lady Kagome could teach her how to be a lady. She can educate her. That would be one less worry for you. Unless you would rather have Jaken-sama teaching her…" He let the question hang. It was a gamble, but from what Rin had mentioned, Jaken would rather see her dead before teaching her anything useful.

Sesshoumaru stared at him for a long time. "Tomorrow night. Midnight. By the river." He fell to the ground. Sesshoumaru turned and walked off. 

He rubbed his sore neck and breathed a sigh of relief. He left the clearing quickly… And missed the youkai lord's last words…

"If something happens to her, monk, that air rip will be the least of your problems."

*****

Kagome woke to find Inuyasha staring at her. She stifled a scream and crawled away from him as fast as she could. "What do YOU want?"

"About time you woke up, wench…"

Her eyes narrowed. A muscle twitched. _I refuse to give you the satisfaction… _She stretched as she turned from him to rummage through her red and black backpack. She smiled and shook her head. Her yellow one had been a casualty of a fight last month, and her mother was still mending it. In the meantime, this was the best she could do. Lots of pockets to put stuff in, roomy enough for schoolbooks, and light enough for short distances. Yep, this would have to do for now. She grabbed her towel, soap and shampoo and stood. Miroku looked asleep. Sango was not inside the hut. Shippou snuggled deeper into her sleeping bag.

"I'm hungry. Cook. Now."

Kagome ignored him and stepped outside Kaede's. "I need a bath. You," she pointed, "are going to have to wait." With that, she stepped outside and wandered over to the river.

Inuyasha growled and bounded off after her. Miroku opened his eyes, watched him leave and sighed. _Here we go again…Must stop the massacre…_ He stood and went outside. Shippou slept on, blissfully unaware of the morning ritual engaged by his companions.

© 6/4/03, M.A.R.

A/N: *sweatdrops…*  Ehehe…  First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don't know where this is coming from, to be honest. It started as a Miroku-Rin—Eek! *dodges missiles*  Wait! Not THAT kind of pairing! And she's too little in my story anyways! Even I'm not THAT demented! *giggles nervously*  Um, yes… Miroku-Rin story, which sounded simple in my head but turned into this. Basic premise—which worked well in my head—Miroku needs Rin to get the girl. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)


	2. Chapter 1: The Plan

Disclaimer: Moved to the bottom this time around. Scroll down if you want it. :o)

Chapter 1: The Plan 

Sesshoumaru was not happy. He did not like to be forced into a corner. But he knew the monk had a point. He turned to watch Rin run around the field in the late afternoon sun, collecting flowers and decorating Jaken. Jaken mumbled something after she ran off again, completely forgetting Sesshoumaru could hear him perfectly. Sesshoumaru smirked.

"Jaken."

Jaken trembled and looked at his lord. "Ha-hai, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

His master had his usual bored mask on. "We are leaving. Bring Rin to me."

Jaken nodded, relieved that his master had not punished him for his mumbled comment.

Jaken shook his staff at the little girl. "Rin! We're leaving! Come here now!"

Rin giggled and ran away from Jaken. Straight into the woods.

Jaken mumbled something again and stalked off after her.

Sesshoumaru waited until Rin tugged on his kimono. He turned to her and accepted the bouquet of flowers, twigs, leaves and weeds she gave him. "You must stop torturing Jaken, Rin."

The little girl giggled and nodded. Jaken came out of the woods opposite of them, huffing and puffing. He leaned on his two-headed staff. "Lord Sesshoumaru! She is gone! I cannot find her—" Jaken looked at the little girl waiting next to his master. His eyes narrowed. He would deal with the human girl later…

"Jaken, take Rin to the castle. Pack her a bag. I shall be back tonight."

Rin paled. Jaken brightened up. "About time we got rid of her, Lord—"

Sesshoumaru bonked Jaken on the back of the head. "Make sure she is packed." The demon lord looked at the little girl. She was crying again. "Rin, stop crying." The girl sniffled and nodded. She wiped her face on the sleeves of her blue kimono. _Damn, that needs to be washed…again…_

The youkai lord vanished into the trees. Jaken smirked. "Well, come on… Lord Sesshoumaru wants you packed… He will probably leave you in a human village…" Jaken babbled on as he walked towards their campsite. Rin looked back at where Sesshoumaru-sama had gone, then grinned and skipped after the toad youkai. Sesshoumaru-sama would be back for her. She knew it. She wasn't scared.

*****

"Miroku-sama, are you all right?" Sango looked at the monk strangely.

"I am fine, my fair Sango, though my heart sings because you are worried about me…" Oh, boy, he was pushing it again…

Sango glared at the monk. He had been acting strange all day, and she was worried, but from his latest comment… "Never mind. I was just curious. Kagome, may I have a word…?" Sango turned to the younger girl and ignored the monk.

Kagome had been watching Shippou trying to transform into Inuyasha, much to the hanyou's chagrin. The fox kit was successful, except for the huge tail he chose to add to Inuyasha's copy. It was an ugly thing, really—emerald green with red stripes—but Kagome was laughing, and he would do anything to make her happy. Inuyasha's growls, however…

Kagome nodded at Sango, got up and hugged 'Inuyasha', petted his red-and-green tail, waved at the growling Inuyasha, and headed off into the woods with the demon exterminator still giggling. Shippou changed back to his cute self and ran towards Kagome's bag. "There must be some candy in here…" He pulled out her schoolbooks, her Hello Kitty pencil case, and some other books with strange people in the front, holding each other. Shippou grinned. Miroku would like these—

Wait a sec. "What is this?" Shippou grabbed a larger book and blanched. A demon! "Miroku, what does this say?" 

Miroku waited for Shippou to bring him the heavy book. On the cover, a boy and a girl were riding a white winged demon. The demon looked like a cross between a horse and a bird. Both children were smiling, though. "Hmmm… It says, 'Harry Potter and the Pri-Prisoner of Ak-no, wait… A-z-k-a-b-a-n. Azkaban? Wonder where that is." He turned the book over and around. "I thought Lady Kagome said there were no demons in her time. Inuyasha, take a look at this. Do you recognize this demon?"

Inuyasha grumbled and turned away from the pair. He was hungry, and it was getting late. Where was Kagome?

© 6/10/03, M.A.R.

_Aphiopsyduck_: Seemed like a short chapter, didn't it? I think the next one's longer, so I hope it balances out. :o)   Let me know if they're getting OOC. I AM trying to keep them in character as much as possible… And special thanks to Akai-chan and to Lady Mayu, my first 2 official reviewers! Thanks a million! :o)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I just bought… :o)  And even if I don't own Harry Potter, I DO own a copy of the Harry Potter book mentioned here, along with an assortment of HP items-- mostly Slytherin, of course. *grin*

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…*  Ehehe…  First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)


	3. Chapter 2: implementing Phase One

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I just bought… :o)

A/N: *deep bow*  Gomen, my faithful readers. I got involved with other stuff—Kingdom Hearts, the Inuyasha video game, some actual reading from books—that I haven't had the time to do more than check my email when I go online. Thanks for those of you that are sticking around, and welcome to those newcomers that have stumbled into my warped world. Enjoy your stay. :o)

Chapter 2: Implementing Phase One

Both girls walked deep into the woods. Sango was deep in thought, and Kagome watched worriedly. She hated it when her friends were worried… "Sango, what's the matter?"

Sango jumped. She blushed. "Ehehe… Sorry, Kagome. Just thinking."

"About Miroku?" She grinned and nudged her best friend.

Sango's blush deepened. "No! I mean, not THAT way…" _I better explain_… "I don't like him like THAT. Not anymore." Sango had a crush on Miroku in the beginning, but all of his groping had scared her off. Now she looked at him as a brother. A lecher brother…

Kagome laughed. "I know, I know… I was just teasing you. Now, what's the matter?"

Sango frowned. "Well, Miroku is acting strange. Well, stranger than usual."

"He groped you again?"

The older girl shook her head. "That's just it. He hasn't groped me in a week. Or you for that matter. He seems preoccupied about something."

Kagome thought back. For the past few days, Miroku had been out of it. Staring into space, oversleeping, not eating well… Yes, even the lack of groping was troubling. What could be bothering him? "Maybe we can get Inuyasha to talk to him. You know, man to man?"

Sango's eyebrows shot up. "Did you just say we should get Inuyasha to speak to the monk? Have you lost your mind?"

Kagome sweatdropped. "Ehehe… It was just a suggestion…"

Sango shook her head. "Never mind. We better head back before Inuyasha drops by and drags you off to cook the meal." Both girls grinned at the image of a hungry Inuyasha whining about not being fed. 

*****

"Lady Kagome, may I have a word…?" The group looked up from dinner to stare at the monk. He smiled slightly but stood his ground.

Kagome exchanged a look with Sango, then turned to Miroku, smiled and nodded. Inuyasha exploded. "What is it with all of you? Leave her alone! She was late cooking dinner already for talking to Sango! If she goes off with you, she'll be up late again! Who will cook breakfast for us?"

The group stared at him. The hanyou was glaring at Miroku, then at Kagome. They turned to see Kagome's reaction. She had gone back to eating her food, ignoring the tirade. Nervous looks were exchanged. The group went back to eating. Inuyasha grinned triumphantly. _Yes! Now she won't go off with the monk._

"If I knew any better, I'd say you were worried about my health." _Uh-oh_…

"But since you're not, I want you to SIT down and finish eating. Miroku, shall we?" Kagome picked up her empty bowl, gathered the rest of the empty bowls, and went outside with Miroku, ignoring the 'Oof!' Inuyasha made when both she and Miroku stepped on him to go outside. Inuyasha cursed at them from his place on the floor. Sango hid her grin, Kaede shook her head, and Shippou came close enough to him but not enough to get caught. "You really did it this time, Inuyasha."

© 6/27/03, M.A.R.

_Aphiopsyduck:_ Hmmm… Seems I've confused some of my readers with the two chapters I've posted. I apologize, and I hope it all makes sense sometime soon. :o)   On the other hand, you're getting two chapters this time around! Yay! 

…Yes, I feel guilty for not updating sooner. I blame the newest Harry Potter book. Got it sometime after 12:30 a.m. that first day. Finished it sometime before 3 a.m. Tuesday. Loved it, shocked me, will read it again later in the Summer. ;-)

Anyhoo. Hope this chapter—and the next one—clarifies some questions, while offering some intrigue. :o)

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…*  Ehehe…  First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)


	4. Chapter 3: Friend or Foe?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I just bought… :o)

A/N: *deep bow*  Gomen, my faithful readers. I got involved with other stuff—Kingdom Hearts, the Inuyasha video game, some actual reading from books—that I haven't had the time to do more than check my email when I go online. Thanks for those of you that are sticking around, and welcome to those newcomers that have stumbled into my warped world. Enjoy your stay. :o)

Chapter 3: Friend or foe?

Monk and miko made their way silently towards the river. They reached the bank and knelt down, placing the bowls in the shallow waters. "Scrub or dry?"

"Huh?" Kagome looked at him. He held a scrap of cloth in one hand and one of her old towels in the other. She blushed. His eyebrows raised. "What is it?"

She blushed harder. "Um, oh, nothing… I better dry…" She took the towel from him, then waited for him to scrub the first bowl clean. 

Miroku pushed up the sleeves of his robe, picked up a bowl and dunked it several times into the water. He wet the cloth and scrubbed the inside of the bowl.

Kagome waited. He finished scrubbing, then handed her the bowl. She wiped it, put it next to her, and waited. He was working on his third bowl when she spoke. "So… What did you want to talk about?"

Miroku looked at her, smiled and resumed scrubbing. Kagome tilted her head to the side, studying the young man next to her. He was handsome, even if he was a lecher. Muscular arms scrubbed the wooden bowl vigorously. Satisfied, he handed her the bowl and picked up another. In her time, he would have been popular. Any girl would want to bear his child. Kagome blushed at the thought. He'd asked her a few times before, and she'd turned him down every single time. Why was the prospect of bearing his child appealing all of a sudden?

She frowned. He was one bowl away form finishing, and they still had not spoken. Did he really want to speak to her, or was this a ruse to annoy Inuyasha?

_Inuyasha_. Now THAT had been a problem. First, he confused her with Kikyo. Constantly. He then had the gall to be jealous of any male, both here AND back home. Kagome sighed. _Let's see_… Mentally she ticked off the names as she remembered comments Inuyasha had made. Hojo, Miroku, Kouga, even Shippou now and then had befallen the wrath of Inuyasha's jealous rants at least once. _Hojo's a moron. Why does he follow you around like that? That lecherous monk better keep his hands away from you… You wimpy wolf! She's NOT your woman! Damn brat. Why didn't he attach himself to someone else? He doesn't need a wench like you as his mother…_

All of her friends. None he approved of. Then again, it wasn't like he wanted her. She knew he wanted Kikyo, which is why she never let anything go far between them. She'd had a crush on Inuyasha those first few months (his ears ARE kawaii!), but after a few encounters with Kikyo she'd backed off.  _I am NOT getting in the middle of THAT! I'd rather have someone who'll be nice to me, and maybe even a cute guy._ Her eyes drifted back towards Miroku.

Kagome blinked. He was staring at her. _Why is he staring at me? _His lip twitched. He lifted the last bowl into her range of vision and raised his eyebrows. She blushed, yanked the bowl from his hand, and dried it with the towel as if its level of dryness would bring about world peace.

Miroku chuckled. He put the cloth back into the river and scrubbed it clean. _Her mind's wandering again_… He'd seen that look in her face before. It meant she was thinking about Inuyasha's jealous rants. Which meant that her blush was a good sign… "Kagome, do you know what time it is?"

"Huh?" Confused, she looked at her wrist. "It's 11:15. Why?"

"Would it be possible for me to borrow your watch?"

"No, you can't. I'll need it when I go home."

Damn, I need that watch! "Kagome-chan, please. I beg you to lend me your watch. It is important."

"Why?" She was confused. Weren't they going to talk? Why did he want her watch?

_Think fast_… "Kagome-chan, I wanted to talk to you about Inuyasha. And I need your watch."

Her jaw dropped. Miroku knew Inuyasha was still a touchy subject. The last time they'd talked about Inuyasha, she had ended up sobbing in Miroku's arms. That had been the day she'd let go of her crush on Inuyasha. 

She shut her mouth, grabbed at the bowls, stuffed them inside the towel, and stood. "You know, Sango's right. You're losing it. I'm leaving." She made a move to leave, but his next comment stopped her cold.

"You're early, Lord Sesshoumaru."

© 6/27/03, M.A.R.

_Aphiopsyduck:_ Confused yet? You will be even more so. *EG*   But I DO apologize for the cliffhanger. :o)  And I changed my mind. My readers are getting a third chapter today! Yay!  It seems to be a long chapter, too… Enjoy! :o)

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…*  Ehehe…  First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)


	5. Chapter 4: Kidnapped! Maybe?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I just bought… :o)

Chapter 4: Kidnapped! Maybe?

Sesshoumaru had watched the entire episode from the opposite bank. He smirked. "You do remember our appointment, monk?"

"Yes I do, Lord Sesshoumaru, but you're still early." Damn, why did he have to show up now of all times?

"I, Lord Sesshoumaru, do not have to follow time exactly."

Miroku glanced behind him and grabbed Kagome by the wrist. "Do not leave, Lady Kagome. And please do not scream. Inu—" He paused and stared at Sesshoumaru. "He will be here soon enough anyway." Miroku frowned. Kagome looked torn between clubbing him with the bowls and screaming her head off.

"Miroku, are you insane?" Kagome hissed. "Do you know who that is?" She glared at the youkai lord, who seemed amused by her tirade.

"Yes I do. He is the reason I needed to borrow your watch."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Miroku shook his head. "No matter. We have little time. Is there any place we can go to talk? A private place?" He looked at Sesshoumaru.

The youkai lord regarded them both. The monk would not be any trouble. The miko, however… "Take off your clothes."

"HENTAI!" Kagome's hand shot out towards the youkai's face. Miroku caught it.

Sesshoumaru smothered a sigh._  God, he hated explaining himself_… "Do not presume to accuse me of being interested in a worthless human. If that idiot hanyou smells you, he will follow. Business cannot be transacted with an irate hanyou screaming useless threats and attempting to fight."

Kagome started. _Worthless human? I'll show you—_Kagome paused. _He's talked longer than any other time I've seen him…Besides, Inuyasha's called me worse_… "For how long?" She finally asked.

Monk and youkai lord exchanged a glance. Miroku looked sheepish. "Ummm… all night?"

_Aaah! No! I can't!_ "Miroku—"

"Inuyasha wants breakfast early…" Miroku suppressed a cringe. God, that was low, even for him.

Her eyes narrowed. She shook her head. "You owe me, monk… Big time…"

*****

"They were just here! What the HELL happened?" Inuyasha ranted at anyone and everyone around him. He had gotten impatient waiting for the monk and Kagome to return, so he'd gone after them. He hadn't expected to find Kagome's clothes in a heap next to the river, with a stack of clean bowls piled neatly on top of it, with no sign of either of them.

The others had followed him, just in case something might happen. Now Kirara sniffed around for any trace of their friends. Shippou whimpered in Sango's arms.  Sango petted the kitsune and glared at Inuyasha. "You should have gone after them earlier! What were you thinking?"

Kirara chose that moment to hiss and sputter.  She flared into a full-sized demon and hissed again. Inuyasha came over to her and sniffed. _Sesshoumaru! _

"Bastard!" Inuyasha screamed and fled after his half-brother's scent. Sango bundled up the discarded uniform and, holding Shippou close, jumped onto Kirara's back. All three headed back to Kaede's to tell her what had happened.

"Kaede-baba! Kaede-baba!" Kaede opened her door. "What troubles you, my children?"

Sango, Shippou and Kirara came at her. "Kagome's been kidnapped!" Sango shoved the younger girl's bundled clothes into the older woman's hands as she ran past Kaede towards her weapon. Shippou raced towards his adopted mother's sleeping area and rummaged in Kagome's bag for some clothes. 

"What happened, child? Were they attacked? Where is Miroku-sama?"

"We don't know. Her clothes were in the riverbank, and both she and Miroku are gone. Kirara and Inuyasha smelled Sesshoumaru in the area." Sango held back a sob. Both her friends were gone… Shippou cried in earnest.

"Shippou, please don't. And stay here with Kaede-baba in case Kagome and Miroku come back."

"No!"

"Shippou, you'll be more useful if you stay here." The kitsune glared through his tears at the obvious lie. "I'll send Kirara for you if we find them. Besides, if something happens to you, Kagome will not let us hear the end of it."

Shippou paled. _Success!_ "O*hic*okay. For Kagome."

Sango hugged the child. She glanced at Kaede over his shoulder. The older woman nodded. "I shall take care of the child. Now go and find them."

© 6/27/03, M.A.R.

_Aphiopsyduck:_ Aiieeee! *ducks*  Guys! Guys! Let me explain! There's a logical explanation for the events mentioned here! 

*looks around* *sweatdrops* Hehehe… It will all be explained in the next few chapters. Promise. Please put the—*peers into audience*  What IS that anyways? *shakes head*  Well, just put it down. Please? :o)

*small smile*  Okay. I apologize if this seems like a cliffhanger. Somehow, the chapters stop at strange places. Anyways. The mind of this writer is strange. It's taking its sweet time revealing to the audience all of the plot twists. It will become clear in a few more chapters. And yes, it IS a romance. Well, at some point it will be. :o)  I hope you bear with it.

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…*  Ehehe…  First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)


	6. Chapter 5: Traipsing in the woods late a

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o)

Chapter 5: Traipsing in the woods late at night 

Kagome glared at her supposed friend. "I'm freezing! How much longer?"

Miroku shrugged. He shivered. _It was a mistake to give her my outer robes_…He tried to watch her without being too obvious. _Then again_… She had the outer part of his robes on, with the knot usually to the side now tied hastily around her neck. Since she was smaller than him, she was swallowed up by the layers of cloth, except for her bare arms, which were covered in goose bumps. _That look suits her… If things were different… _While his robe was heavy, it was no match for the biting wind. He would have gladly given her his inner robes, but that would have meant that he would be the unclothed one around here. Besides, in his current state…

Sesshoumaru turned to the miko. "Must you complain so much?"

"You weren't the one NAKED in a freezing river in the dead of night!"

Miroku would have pointed out that he, too, had ended up in the river, but Sesshoumaru beat him to the punch.

"Humans are such weak creatures…"

"You know, I'm getting tired of hearing that." Kagome stuck her nose in the air and deadpanned, " 'Humans are such weak creatures.' You sound just like Inuyasha."

Miroku froze. Sesshoumaru turned to them, smirked, and walked on. Miroku released his breath. "Do not push him, Lady Kagome…"

"You shut up. I'm not talking to you. And what the HELL were you thinking, making a pact with—with—HIM?"

Sesshoumaru couldn't resist. "Did you not say you were not speaking to the monk? And yet you ask him a question. Make up your mind, human."

"Argh! Stop doing that! I'm the victim here, remember?"

_Oh, Kami… Time to stop this before they kill each other_… "Lady Kagome does have a point, Lord Sesshoumaru. Are we close?"

"We are there."

The trio stopped in front of a dilapidated wooden hut in the middle of nowhere. Miroku pulled out some sacred seals from the folds of his robes. "Let us go inside."

Sesshoumaru growled. Poison dripped from his claws. "I, Sesshoumaru, refuse to be trapped in there with two humans. You lied, monk."

Kagome sighed. "We did this to Inuyasha to protect him. With the seals, outsiders, including him, won't be able to see the hut." As an afterthought, she commented, "And just because we did it to Inuyasha it doesn't mean you have to like it. Let's just go in and finish this."

Sesshoumaru started. _How did she know I'd been thinking that? Witch!_  Eyes narrowed, he opened his mouth, but she stopped him with a look. "Don't. Do not say anything." She shook her head and went inside, muttering, "You two are so alike…"

Sesshoumaru stared after her. _Who did she think she was_… He sniffed the air. "Hurry up, monk. That half-breed is coming."

Miroku nodded and went about his business. Right before he went in, he grabbed some firewood. He went in, closing the door behind him and sealing it. 

Inuyasha came into the general area, sniffed the air, and bounded off into the night. _Must find them_…

© 7/3/03, M.A.R.

_Aphiopsyduck:_ Watched my favorite Inuyasha episode last night… Rin just came in! Yay! And Kouga's as naughty as ever. :-P  Too bad tonight's the last episode on Cartoon Network… :o( 

Story-wise, I've finally hit my writing stride—right in the middle of chapter 8. If the style gets to be too different in the upcoming chapters, let me know. :o)

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…*  Ehehe…  First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)


	7. Chapter 6: The Meeting

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o)

Chapter 6: The meeting

"That's why I'm here?" Kagome put down her cup and stared at the two men in front of her. She glanced again at her surroundings, struggling to hold back the hysterical giggle threatening to escape. She barely noticed the lavish table with half-empty plates of food sitting in front of her, the comfortable-looking futons in a corner, the rack of clothes towards the side, or the way she was being looked at. 

Miroku paled.  The meeting was not going the way he planned it. He gripped his staff and scooted inconspicuously far away from her reach. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow but did not react.

"Lady Kagome—"

"I've been forced to take off my uniform and leave it behind. My mother will not be happy about that one, I can tell you that right now. She will NOT be happy!" Her eyes closed and an eyebrow twitched. _Must… kill…guilty…parties…_

Both men glanced at each other. Fear—a rare emotion in one such as a youkai lord—had taken over Sesshoumaru completely. Miroku had seen Kagome act strange before, but now even he was scared.

Kagome babbled on incoherently. "I was forced into a freezing river. Freezing! Not cold, not nippy, but FREEZING!" She banged her hands on the table. "Humiliated into dressing in his robes—" she pointed at Miroku, who shrank back "—and walking around late at night in the middle of nowhere to Kami knows where with Mr. I'm-so-high-and-mighty-that-I-can-be-the-biggest-jackass-in-the-planet-to-anyone—" she turned her finger to Sesshoumaru, who scooted back unconsciously, blushed and tried his best to look unaffected by her tirade "—and for what?" 

Kagome breathed hard and glowered at both men. She was exhausted physically and emotionally. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Her hands fisted in the lap of the emerald green kimono covered with stars (which she had changed into earlier). She counted to ten. Again. And several more times.

Both men glanced at each other again and waited.

In the forest outside, Inuyasha careened by the hidden hut for the fifth time, wondering why the forest animals and smaller demons were fleeing the forest in droves.

*****

Miroku smothered a sigh. Kagome had been taking deep breaths for a long time. He reached for his cup when her eyes snapped open and she glared at him. His hand wavered and shrank back away from the table and into his lap. 

Sesshoumaru watched their interaction from half-closed eyelids. _She seemed more upset about our methods than of the idea itself… And he seems keen on not making her upset… Interesting…_ "Are you finished sulking, human?"

Kagome turned towards the demon lord. "I was not sulking. I was calming myself down."

Sesshoumaru rose and headed to one of the futons. "I, Lord Sesshoumaru, refuse to wait any longer. You two shall have to finish this discussion." He sat cross-legged on the bed, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes. 

"Lady Kagome—" She held up her hand. His jaw shut and he waited.

"Miroku, explain. Now." She grabbed her cup, tasted the long-cold tea, and made a face. She dumped her tea, grabbed the kettle and poured herself some more.

Miroku gripped his tea and plunged ahead. "I offered your services to Lord Sesshoumaru." He took a deep breath. "To be a tutor for little Rin."

© 7/5/03, M.A.R.

Aphiopsyduck: Thanks to all of my reviewers. :o)  To Rem: As of right now, this isn't a Sesshie-kun/Kagome story, although I have one for them floating around in my head. And thanks for the Cartoon Network update. :o) 

To Kagome: Sorry if this is confusing. It should become clear in this chapter. Well, somewhat clear… :-/  Anyways, let me know what's confusing, and I'll see if it can be clarified. :o)

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…*  Ehehe…  First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)


	8. Chapter 7: And you are?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o)  I DO own Hoonomei. He's mine! :o)

Chapter 7: And you are…?

Sango and Kirara found Inuyasha about an hour later, holding a cat youkai by the tail. He shook the small demon and screamed, "I asked you a question!"  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kirara growled at the hanyou. Sango patted her absently. "Calm down, Kirara… He means no harm…"

"The hell I don't! I want answers!" He shook the demon again, and the kid whimpered and shook. Sango dismounted Kirara, took her weapon off her back, and bonked Inuyasha on the head. The larger demon dropped the child and held his head. 

"Oi, wench, what was that for? He was about to—"

Sango ignored the whining hanyou and picked up the small ball of shaking fluff. It was a pretty thing—gold and silver hair intertwined in an intricate striped pattern, except for the golden head, which was now hidden in the child's chest—_but not as brave as Kirara_. The small demon uncurled and blinked at Sango, shaking. Kirara had changed into her smaller form, and she perched on her master's shoulder purring. Sango smiled. "I apologize for my friend's rude behavior—" she glared at Inuyasha, who narrowed his eyes at the scene and bounded up the nearest tree "—but he is worried about two of our friends. My name is Sango. This—" she patted Kirara's head "—is Kirara, and that one up the tree—"

"Feh! Ask him about Kagome already!"

Sango glowered at him. "You know, I think I understand why Kagome sits you so much."

Inuyasha flinched at the word 'sit' but said nothing.

She turned again to the child smiling. "Don't pay any attention to him. Inuyasha hasn't had a nap yet." She winked at the child, who giggled, then opened his mouth wide and clapped a hand over it. "I'm sorry—"

Sango laughed. "No need to apologize. Now, what is your name?"

The child grinned. "My name's Hoonomei."

"Nice to meet you. Now, if I may ask, did you see a young girl, slightly shorter than me? Long black hair to about here—" she held her hand in the middle of her back "—possibly walking with a young man about his height—" she pointed to Inuyasha, who growled and turned away from them "—with black hair, wearing dark blue and black robes, and carrying a gold staff taller than him? Oh, and rosary beads wrapped around one hand."

Hoonomei thought it over. Inuyasha leaned down casually and strained to hear. "I saw two humans that might be described like that. But the male was wearing only the black robes, and the female seemed to be wearing the blue robes you've described." 

Sango's eyebrows shot up. Inuyasha's jaw dropped. He snapped it shut and growled.

Oblivious to their reactions, Hoonomei shook his head. "It can't have been them, though. They were with Lord Sesshoumaru."

At the mention of his half-brother's name, Inuyasha lost his grip and crashed down from his branch.

© 7/5/03, M.A.R.

_Aphiopsyduck_:  Sorry for the short chapter, but this is the length it ended up being. It balances out, though. Two later chapters are very long. :o)

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…*  Ehehe…  First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)


	9. Chapter 8: Explanations and ideas

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o)  But I DO own Hoonomei. He's still mine. :o)

Chapter 8: Explanations and ideas

"And that's the general idea." Miroku closed his eyes, sat back and waited for the explosion. _After this, she will never speak to me again…_

"Why didn't you say so from the beginning?" His eyes snapped open, but she wasn't looking at him. She had turned to Sesshoumaru. 

The demon lord had been watching while the monk told the story. He smirked. "I, Lord Sessh—"

"Oh, forget it. I know why. You don't explain yourself. I get it." She turned back to Miroku, missing Sesshoumaru's shocked expression. "Now, you. Why all the drama?"

He gave her a blank look. "Um, drama?" 

"Drama. Production. Performance. Commotion. Spectacle. Why do all of this? Why not tell me outright?"

Miroku turned beet red. "Erm, well, uh… Inuyasha?" _Miroku, you baka! Why did I have to mention his name?_

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You should know by now I would jump at the chance to do something like this. I like to help others. Inuyasha or no Inuyasha." She stood and walked to another futon. She grabbed the frame and pulled it away from the other two. Miroku started to stand. One glare from her sat him down again. She glared at Sesshoumaru for good measure. He raised an eyebrow at her, stood and went back to the table. He sat next to Miroku and grabbed another cup. The two men sipped their tea. The only sounds coming from the hut were her grunts and the scraping futon.

The scraping sounds stopped. She came back to the table and wiped her hands with a napkin. The trio sat drinking their tea, each immersed in their own thoughts. 

_An orphaned little girl, killed by wolves… How sad… If that were Souta, how would I feel? I would want him to have someone to take care of him, and possibly get an education…_

_She has not killed me yet… Is that a good sign? I hope she understands why I did all of this… She is extremely attractive when she is upset, though…_

The monk trusts her to protect Rin… Do I share that sentiment? More to the point, can she teach Rin to be a lady? She is no more than a child herself. Is she really capable of taking care of her? How will Rin react when I tell her? I hope she does not cry… I hate to see her cry… And Jaken? He likes the child…

"You do realize that, if I agree to this—" she waved their incredulous looks away. "Yes, I said 'if.' How are we explaining her presence to the others?" She stressed the word 'others,' which Miroku knew meant Inuyasha. "How old is she, by the way?"

"The child seems to be about seven human years."

Kagome nodded. "So, any ideas? And they better be good ones. I'd rather get back to Kaede-babas' before morning."__

The trio mentally considered and discarded ideas. 

_No, she can't come from my time… They already know about Souta, so I can't say she's my sister… Relative? "Souta can't cross the well, wench. Why can she?" Maybe I can go with Sesshoumaru and teach her somewhere else… But what about the Jewel?_

_She's too young for me to ask her to bear my child… They know I don't have any brothers or sisters… Or do I?_

Why explain her to that half-breed? If he hurts her… 

"He won't hurt her while we're around."

Sesshoumaru started. "Witch! How did you—"

"Your hand is clenched, your eyes are turning red and you're growling." She smiled. "You're worried about her, aren't you? I promise to do everything in my power to take care of her." She held up her hand to stop him from replying. "Yes, I'll tutor her."

"My sister!"  Both turned to a grinning Miroku. "He won't hurt my sister. Not even Inuyasha is THAT cruel."

"The ages don't match up."

Mirokus' face fell. "Oh."

"Half-sister."

Both humans turned towards the demon lord. He smirked at their faces. "What is the matter? Is that not a reasonable explanation?"

Kagome and Miroku glanced at each other. "Um, well…"

"Just because I, Lord Sesshoumaru, hate the half-breed, it does not mean that my idea has no merit."

"He does have a point, Lady Kagome."

Kagome was not convinced. "Okay. Let's say that explanation works. How do we explain her sudden appearance?"

"I, Lord Sesshoumaru, will take care of that."

© 7/12/03, M.A.R.

_Aphiopsyduck: _I would like to take this opportunity to say thanks to the readers who are sticking with this fic. Sorry I haven't updated recently. There's too many good fics floating around for me to resist them… Anyhoo. Hope you like this one. :o)

Personal to:

--Kagome: Sorry you're getting confused. I hope it's cleared in later chapters.

--Rem: That's another idea I've been thinking about. Look for it at some point.

--princessroze3: The curiosity's killing me too. I DID write an epilogue, though. 

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…*  Ehehe…  First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)


	10. Chapter 9: We're back!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o)  But I DO own Hoonomei. He's still mine. :o)

Chapter 9: We're back! 

Kagome pushed Kaede's door and tiptoed inside. With one foot in the hut, a ball of fur attached itself to her, sobbing hysterically. She lost her balance and fell into Miroku, who had come in behind her. He grabbed her shoulders and held her upright. She hugged the kitsune and held him tight.

"Thank Kami you two are all right." Kaede looked up from the fire she was stoking. She noted that Kagome was wearing part of Mirokus' robes, but said nothing. They would tell her everything in their own time. "The others shall be here soon. They have been coming by every few hours to see if you two came back here."

"Thank you, Lady Kaede." Miroku set Kagome aside and walked over to the fire. He knelt next to Kaede and took over stoking the fire. Kagome walked to her bag and rummaged through it. Shippou clung to her sniffing. She frowned. "Shippou, where are my extra clothes?" 

Shippou clung to her. "I*hic* I gave them to Sango." He wailed. "I thought you'd never come back!" The kitsune began sobbing again.

"I need new clothes. I have to go home. Where's my uniform?"

"Your clothes were hung to dry. Kagome, please do not go out again until the others come by again. They shall worry."

"Lady Kaede, they will be even more upset if they see me dressed like this. I have to go." She glanced out the window. The horizon was getting lighter by the minute. _I can make it home before Mom leaves… She can help me choose books for a seven-year-old…_

Shippou was crying again. She motioned to Miroku, who nodded and stood. He came to her, pried Shippou from her, and nodded his head towards the door. "Go. I shall try to explain." _Kami, let her get to the well before they come back…_

Kagome smiled gratefully and headed to the door. She stuck her head out, looked both ways, and then sprinted out.

Shippou beat his fists against Miroku's chest, sobbing. "Why? Why did you let her leave?"

"I shall explain. Now please calm down. She shall be back soon."

Miroku knelt down next to the fire, holding Shippou with one hand and stroking the fire with the other one. "Why*hic* why was she wearing your robes?"

"Because her uniform was wet, and I was being a gentleman."

Shippou snorted. "Yeah, right. And I'm Inuyasha."

Miroku opened his mouth to reply, but a primal scream from outside tore through the hut. Miroku shot up and raced to the door, holding Shippou at his side. He pulled open the door just as another body came flying in. Miroku fell to the floor, holding Shippou above his head to try to protect him from getting hurt.

"Where is she?" Miroku opened his eyes and met angry golden ones. And a pointed sword. He could barely make out an amused Sango behind Inuyasha, with Kirara and another small demon on her shoulders. Miroku held his breath and prayed for Kagome's return. Or a swift end.

*****

Kagome hurriedly explained everything to her mother. "So I need a few children's books, some simple games, and a change of clothes. Oh, my uniform! I left it there again!" Kagome banged her head on the kitchen counter.

Her mother laughed. "Now, now… Go change your clothes. I'll make sure to pack you some of your and Souta's old toys and games when I come home, and I'll drop by the bookstore for some children's books and maybe some history books. I'm sure you'll need to know what young ladies learned back then. And don't worry. You'll do fine. You used to help Souta out with his homework when he was little, remember?"

Kagome made a face. "Yeah. And now he gets mine from school."

Laughing, her mother stood. "That reminds me. He left your homework on your desk. Now go change. And leave me that robe here. I'll wash it for you." She hugged her daughter. "I have to go now. Take care, and good luck with your friends' child."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll try to be back tonight." Kagome watched her mother leave, and she sighed. "Homework… Blah…" She went upstairs to change. "I better shower while I'm here…"

*****

"We shall play a game. You shall pretend to be the half sister of a monk called Miroku. You will have a tutor. Her name is Kagome. While you are with Kagome, you shall behave. She will teach you all that you need to know. She will take care of you. Miroku shall take care of you too. You will be with Kagome at all times. Follow her until I, Sesshoumaru, come back for you. If something happens, I shall be there immediately." 

Rin looked back at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes. 

"Do you understand?"

Rin nodded. 

_Okay… Now comes the hard part…_ "One more thing. You shall pretend that I, Sesshoumaru, am nothing more than your escort. You will not tell anyone that you live with me, except Kagome or Miroku. If I come around, you shall pretend that you do not know me, no matter what happens or what is said. That means Jaken too." 

Rin frowned. She cocked her head and blinked a few times.

"This is very important. Do you understand?"

Rin looked at Sesshoumaru. The demon lord waited. _If she can't do this, the whole plan is…_ Rin's hand snatched the flowers she had given him when he came home. She glared at him. Nose stuck in the air, she turned and walked off into the palace. Sesshoumaru stared, shocked at the child's daring. Rin stuck her head out again and grinned. The demon lord let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Perfect. Now go finish packing. I shall take you there tomorrow." Rin nodded once and vanished inside. 

Jaken came forward. "My Lord, are you sure this is a good idea? I—I mean, I would never dream of questioning my Lord's good judgment, but—"

Rin came back outside. She thrust the flowers at Sesshoumaru, hugged Jaken, grinned at both, and then ran back inside.

"This is the correct thing to do. Rin needs a human education. She shall get one. If that girl fails, both she and the monk shall pay the consequences. End of discussion."

Jaken nodded. "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru." Jaken fidgeted. "Um, Lord Sesshoumaru…"

"Yes?"

"May this humble servant—"

Sesshoumaru nodded. Jaken smiled slightly, then wandered back into the palace. _Even if he puts on a show, he will miss her… How can I tell him not to say goodbye?_ He looked at the crumpled flowers in his hand._ For that matter, how can I let her go? Even for a little while?_

© 7/21/03, M.A.R.

_Aphiopsyduck_: It was brought to my attention that I keep ending chapters in cliffies. I apologize. I keep forgetting that I'm several chapters ahead of the readers, and that I have the story in front of me. I will say this much, though… The chapters are ending there by themselves. It's their fault. :o)

I'll take a page from Striking Falcon and recommend a couple of stories. Have any of you read "Chasing Methuselah" by Sandra? It's a Mir/Kag, so if any of you want to check it out (or read it again) go for it. The few Mir/Kag fics in here need to be shared. :o)  I'll also recommend "Unexpected Allies: How to Train a Taiyoukai" by Striking  Falcon. It's a Sess/Kag fic. Both have lots of humor and feature adorable males from the Inuyasha series.

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…*  Ehehe…  First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)


	11. Chapter 10: Final Preparations

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o)  But I DO own Hoonomei. He's still mine. :o)

Chapter 10: Final preparations 

"Mom! There's too much stuff here!" Kagome, who had taken a nap after spending the day at home catching up on her latest homework, stared at the piles of books, games, toys and new clothes all over the living room.

"I told you I was getting some things for you this morning."

"Yeah, our old toys and books. And maybe some history books for me. But clothes?"

"Sweetie, she's a little girl. She might need clothes."

Kagome grumbled, "I don't think Sesshoumaru's letting her walk around naked…"

"Don't worry, sweetie. If she doesn't want them, I can return them. Just take a few for now." She smiled at her daughter and went into the kitchen.

Kagome sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll take a few clothes with me." _Plus the books, and the toys, and some games… Why did I let Miroku talk me into this?_

Souta bounded in the door. "Mom, I'm home! Hey, sis! You're home. What's up?" He looked around the living room. He picked up a beginner's book. "Wow. Are you teaching Inuyasha to read?" He then saw the pile of clothes. "Oh, playing dress-up with him. Can I come watch?" 

"Souta!"

Souta grinned and went upstairs. Kagome shook her head and sorted through the clothes. _Imagine that! Inuyasha playing dress-up…_ An image of Inuyasha wearing the long yellow dress she had in her hand burst forth. She laughed. 

The image changed. A raven-haired little boy holding a golden-topped staff slightly taller than his head stood outside a wooden hut, while a dark-haired little girl in a green and white sailor uniform, complete with a red kerchief around her neck, ran barefoot through a field covered with wildflowers. A young kitsune chased her, changing his shape as he ran. A teenage girl, dressed in a yellow and orange-checkered kimono, sat next to an old toad talking quietly but watching the children. A third figure stood in the field, his white hair flowing in the breeze. The two children ran in endless circles around the figure. The teenager shook her head and grinned. The toad shook his staff at the kids' antics and was rewarded with a slight smack and a hug from the teenager. Another staff, identical to the one the boy held except for its larger size, rested next to the door of the hut. On a peg in the wall hung a weathered yellow backpack. The laughter died in Kagome's throat. 

The image changed again. An older Kagome now stood outside the university, her long hair tied back into a ponytail. She looked around. A dark-haired young man dressed in black jeans and a blue polo strode up to her and took her hand in both of his. His lips moved as he said something to her. She blushed, giggled and slapped his hands away. His head dropped dejectedly, but he raised his face again and grinned. He picked her up and spun her around a few times. She laughed…

The dress slipped from her hands. It floated downward, forming a round golden sun on the floor. 

*****

"Inuyasha, she will be back soon. Stop pacing."

Inuyasha growled in reply. He looked out the window towards the path that led from the well. He paced the length of the hut again. 

Kaede sighed and shook her head. She glanced at the rest of the group. Sango sat next to Miroku in the far corner of the hut, her boomerang held tightly in her hands. Kaede noticed that the monk flinched every time Inuyasha walked by him. _Who can blame him, after Inuyasha's behavior this morning?_ The old woman had seen Inuyasha upset before, but even she had been shocked at the half-demons' behavior.

"Where were you two last night? Where's that bastard? Did he hurt her?" Inuyasha grabbed Miroku and shook him.

"Kagome will explain everything when she comes back—" Inuyasha shook him again.

_Sango grabbed Inuyasha's haori. "Inuyasha, let him go!"_

_"Leave me alone, wench!" He ripped Sango's hands off his clothes. He turned to Miroku, who had crawled a few feet away from him. " What do you mean, 'come back'?"_

_"She had to leave for home. She had no clothes, since Sango had her extra ones—"_

_Inuyasha growled. "And another thing! Why didn't she have her clothes? What the hell happened?"_

_"She will explain everything as soon as she—"_

_Inuyasha turned to the door. "I'm going after her!"_

Thankfully, Sango had grabbed her giant boomerang and knocked the half-demon unconscious. 

Kaede suppressed a sigh. Since Inuyasha had woken up, he had been pacing and grumbling the entire day. And glaring at Miroku for sealing him inside the hut.

From the sound of their childish voices, Shippou and Hoonomei were still outside playing. Until Shippou screamed, "Kagome!"

*****

Kagome came out of the well wearing a stuffed green backpack. She glanced around, and then listened for a minute. "Hmmm. No one came to bother me at home, no one's screaming at me, no one's yelling about the jewel shards…" She shrugged. "Guess Miroku finally killed Inuyasha…" She grinned and walked down the familiar path towards Kaede's.

As she came into the village, she spied Shippou playing with another child. As she walked closer, she noticed that Kaede's hut was gone, and that the other child was a demon. Shippou turned and saw her. "Kagome!" He ran towards her and launched himself at her waist. The other child followed but hung back and didn't look at her. 

"Hello, Shippou! And who's your friend?"

"This is Hoonomei. He's a cat demon. He came back with Sango, Kirara and Inuyasha." He leaned in closer and whispered, "Miroku sealed Inuyasha in the hut. He was very upset when he came back and found out you had left again." Shippou shook his head. "He was very bad today. He deserves to be 'sit' a few times."

Kagome laughed. She out Shippou down and knelt. "Hello. My name is Kagome."

"I-I'm Hoonomei."

"Pleased to meet you. Welcome to—"

"What the hell is wrong with you, leaving like that?"

Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep, soothing breath. She opened them and smiled at Inuyasha. "Hello to you too, Inuyasha."

"What he meant to say is, 'I was worried about you, Kagome.' " Kagome smiled at Sango. "Well, he wasn't the only one."

Kagome winked at her friend. "I know what he meant. And I didn't mean to worry you guys. But now that you know what happened—" 

"Um, Kagome, we still do not know what happened."

"What do you mean? Didn't Miroku explain?"

Shippou shuddered. "After what Inuyasha did to Miroku, he refused to say anything except, 'Kagome will be back soon. She will explain.' "

Her jaw dropped. She stood and went into the hut. The others followed her inside.

Kaede sat in the far wall. Miroku knelt next to the fire, staring intently at the flames. When the door opened, he looked up gratefully. "Hello, Kagome. Welcome back."

"You didn't tell them anything?"

The others had followed her inside and were now sitting around the fire. They looked at Miroku. The monk shook his head. "I wanted you to be here when I told them."

Sango leaned towards Shippou and Hoonomei and whispered, "Probably so she could 'sit' Inuyasha if he got upset…" Shippou and Hoonomei giggled until Inuyasha glared at them.

Kagome sat down next to Miroku. "Gee, thanks a lot… And keep those hands where I can see them." Miroku moved his wandering hand back into his lap and waited. The group watched them and glanced at one another. Kaede shook her head. Inuyasha growled.

Miroku glanced at Kagome and cleared his throat. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He started to sweat. _The speech I had practiced is gone… I cannot remember it…_He looked at Kagome.

She groaned and shook her head. "Fine. I'll tell them." She looked at the group. "Miroku has a half-sister. And she's coming tomorrow."

© 7/27/03, M.A.R.

_Aphiopsyduck_: Short chappie, I know… :o)  Btw, I'm trying something new, so if the formatting is weird, that's why. :o)  Hmmm… Let me know if the images work, or if I should have done something different to them. It's easy to do _italics_ and **bold**, but how does one make paragraphs of text stand out, when they're not really thoughts?

Oh, and be forewarned. Coming up soon is the chapter that has a LOT of swearing, thanks to my computer crashing and losing part of chapter 12. *shakes head*  Bad computer! Bad!

Personal to fallen-angel: I'm sorry I haven't read the latest installment on your fic, so we're even. :o) Personal to Mala Valvah: I hope so. I'm fighting with the direction the story wants to take. :-P

Recommendations: Two more Mir/Kag stories for you guys. The BreakUp Diaries by Massao-na-Mizu: drop by and check it out. Everything He Needs by Celtic*Lady*Knight: I just started on this one; it's an AU, but it seems interesting. :o)

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…*  Ehehe…  First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)


	12. Chapter 11: Hello, Rin!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name. :o) 

_Aphiopsyduck: _Yay! I finally fixed the formatting problem! 

*disembodied voice* Yeah, after 10 chapters! 

_Aphiopsyduck: _Hey, No one said I was perfect! :-P   


Chapter 11: Hello, Rin!

Sesshoumaru walked through the woods, followed closely by Rin. Behind them, Jaken struggled with the girl's pack. "Master, why must we walk there? Would it not have been easier to take Ryu Hishou?" 

Sesshoumaru stopped. Rin skipped ahead a few feet. "How do you suppose the humans will react if they see a two-headed flying dragon over their village?" 

Jaken opened his mouth to reply, but Sesshoumaru cut him short. "We shall arrive soon. Hand me the pack. Rin." The little girl skipped over. "Jaken shall remain here. I shall accompany you to the village. Remember what we discussed." Rin nodded and hugged the toad demon. Jaken returned the hug awkwardly, then turned, walked away a few feet, and stood with his back towards the other two. The demon lord sensed Jaken's feelings. Sesshoumaru sighed inwardly. _I know how you feel, Jaken… I can only hope I can hold mine back when I leave her… _Sesshoumaru hefted the pack and continued on towards the village, followed closely by a subdued Rin. 

***** 

Kagome sat outside Kaede's with Sango, each immersed in her own thoughts. Shippou and Hoonomei ran around Miroku, who stared into the woods. Inuyasha sat on Kaede's roof. 

Sango polished her boomerang again. She nudged Kagome, who dropped the book she was reading. "Huh? What?" 

"What time is she coming here?" 

"I'm not sure." 

Sango ran her cloth over the boomerang again. "Tell me once more how Sesshoumaru found out about her." 

Kagome paused. She wasn't sure what the demon lord had in mind. "Uh, well, he didn't exactly say." 

"The how can you be sure it is Miroku's sister?" 

Kagome muttered, "Half sister," grabbed her book again and held it in front of her face, blocking Sango. _I genuinely don't like lying, but Sesshoumaru really didn't tell us what he had in mind…_

Inuyasha growled and landed in front of Kaede's hut, one hand on Tetsusaiga. Shippou and Hoonomei stopped running and hid behind Miroku. Sango put down her cloth and stood, boomerang in one hand. Kaede came outside to watch. Kagome closed her book and put it down, then stood. 

Sesshoumaru had entered the village, followed by a dark-haired little girl. The villagers came outside their homes and stared at the pair. Some looked at Inuyasha, then at Sesshoumaru, and whispered to one another. The demon lord walked on, seemingly unaware that there were people lining the streets watching him. The little girl looked around curiously, but stayed close to Sesshoumaru. 

The pair stopped in front of Kaede's. Inuyasha growled again. 

"Here she is, monk." Sesshoumaru grabbed the little girl and almost shoved her into Miroku's arms. He threw her pack in front of Kagome. Kagome gasped and threw him a dirty look. Miroku seemed dazed, but hugged the child close to him. 

Sesshoumaru threw a piece of paper at Kagome, then turned and left. 

Rin struggled out of Miroku's arms and chased after Sesshoumaru. He stopped, turned and watched her approach. He tried not to sigh. _I've underestimated her… The plan has failed…_

The little girl kicked Sesshoumaru's shin, then turned and walked back to the shocked group, her head held high. 

Sesshoumaru smirked, and left the village in his cloud. _I did underestimate her… That kick was superb… Wait until Jaken hears…_   
  


© 8/11/03, M.A.R. 

_Aphiopsyduck: _Hello everyone! I have some bad news. I'm stuck. I got to chapter 19, then decided that I didn't like where the story was going. Part of chapter 18 (and all of chapter 19) has been shelved for future use in either this story or in a sequel/parallel/AU/etc. Which means that I'm stuck on chapter 18. As a result, I've been busy with several Harry Potter stories. But don't worry. I plan to get this story back on track soon—whether it wants to or not. *grin* 

Speaking of which, if there's any Sirius Black fans out there, let me know. There's a couple of… interesting stories that I would like to recommend. :o) 

Finally, I'm thinking of an Inuyasha-Harry Potter crossover, so keep an eye out for that sometime soon. Yes, I've noticed there's a few out there, but I don't think any of them will coincide with MY strange idea. I hope. *sheepish grin* 

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)   
  
  



	13. Chapter 12: What now?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name. :o)   


Chapter 12: What now?

Kagome sat in the hot springs. Her back ached, her eyes hurt, and her head spun. In the past two weeks, Kagome had been teaching Rin nonstop while the group traveled around searching for jewel shards. They'd returned to the village after several successful battles and collecting a few more shards. Rin's schooling was progressing, but the little girl distracted easily, which meant that Kagome had to explain things several times before Rin learned them. Aside from this, the teenager still hadn't understood the letter Sesshoumaru had thrown at her before leaving. 

_"I shall be close by in case something happens. Rin has her instructions. You shall be rewarded when I return for the child."_

On the other hand, the official explanation he gave for Rin's sudden appearance was, for lack of better words, creative. Kagome smiled as she remembered the letter Rin handed Miroku after Sesshoumaru left. 

_"I, Sesshoumaru, the Lord of the Western Lands, have found something that belongs with you. This is your half-sister Rin. She was found years ago inside the remains of a demon that dared to challenge me. I, Sesshoumaru, have been taking care of the human brat. Eventually word came to me about who she was. I, Sesshoumaru, have brought her to you. My obligation is to take care of those living within my borders, be they human, hanyou, or demon. The child was found within my borders. You should be thankful I did not kill her right off, monk. I was being generous to a worthless human orphan. I should not have to waste my time taking care of someone else's human brats. She is now your responsibility."_

After Miroku read the letter, Inuyasha had grunted and bounded off in the opposite direction of his half-brother. Sango welcomed Rin and went back to her business. Shippou and Hoonomei stared at Rin, then asked her to play with them. After two weeks, the three were inseparable, with the two boys frequently joining Kagome and Rin for lessons. 

And Miroku? Well, he had taken his responsibilities as older brother seriously. He regularly sat next to Rin during lessons, offering encouragement and helping her study. He also had taken the little girl under his wing, often carrying her around while they searched for shards and telling her stories about everything. _He'll make a great dad someday—Eep! Evil thoughts! Evil!_

A large splash startled Kagome out of her musings. Shippou and Hoonomei splashed around close by. Rin sat close to her at the water's edge, dipping her toes and watching the two boys. 

The bushes behind her rustled. She turned to find Miroku coming through them. She looked to see if Shippou was distracted, and then beckoned him closer. He sat on a rock next to her. "What's up? Everything okay?" 

"We have to talk." 

Kagome nodded. "Shippou! I need a favor." 

Miroku frowned and muttered, "You really should stop using the children, Kagome-sama…" 

Shippou stopped chasing Hoonomei and swam closer. The cat demon followed. The kitsune saw Miroku and frowned. "What's he doing here? Aren't you going to yell at him?" 

"I am being a perfect gentleman, Shippou." 

Kagome laughed. "I have my swimsuit on, Shippou, remember?" Shippou looked at Miroku, who looked back with a bland expression. "Shippou, I need to talk to Miroku. Go back to Kaede's. You know what to do." 

Shippou scowled. "Again? Kagome, he won't believe me anymore!" 

Kagome frowned. She sneaked a look at Miroku, who nodded slightly. "Okay, plan B. You guys stay here." Kagome got out of the water and grabbed her towel. She looked at Miroku, who grabbed Rin and hid behind some bushes. He motioned to the little girl to be quiet and then covered his ears. Rin looked at him, grinned and followed his lead. Shippou and Hoonomei backed away from Kagome and ran off into the night. Kagome stared into the woods and nodded. Kagome suddenly screamed. 

Inuyasha bounded into the riverbank with Tetsusaiga unsheathed. He looked around. "Why are you screaming, wench? What's the matter?" 

"A demon! A huge—Oh, it was scary!" She dropped to the ground breathing hard. She pointed downriver. "It went that way! Hurry! It was fast!" 

Inuyasha sniffed the air. "Feh. I don't see anything. Besides, whatever it was, it's gone. Why go after it?" 

"Because it tried to eat me! Why else?" Kagome jumped up and stamped her foot. "Go, Inuyasha! Or are you afraid it's too fast for you?" _Okay… Now for the final step…_ "What if it comes back and eats your shard detector?" She drew out the last two words. 

Inuyasha growled, sheathed his sword, and went off in the direction Kagome had pointed out to him, muttering. 

Kagome chuckled and shook her head. She sat back on the riverbank and motioned to Miroku and Rin. "Well, that should leave us a good five minutes. What's going on?" 

Miroku sat next to Kagome. He saw that Rin hung back. "You have a visitor, Rin." The trio looked towards Sesshoumaru, who had glided over to them on his cloud. 

Rin squealed, jumped up and ran towards the demon lord. He put his hand on her head when she grabbed his leg. "How are your studies?" 

"Rin can count and write my name and do simple sums and knows manimals and trees and flo—flo—" 

"Flowers." Sesshoumaru whispered and looked down at the child. "She… She speaks." 

Kagome murmured, "This is what you wanted to talk about, huh?" 

Miroku nodded. "He wanted to see her. I asked him to wait until you came back from home." He turned to her. "How was your test?" 

"Which one? The history one," she grinned at him, "or the science one?" 

Miroku chuckled. "I take it both went well." 

"Of course. But tomorrow's the evil algebra one, and I want to go back home and cram." 

"Cram? Is that some sort of food?" _Her figure's so perfect… Ack! Bad Miroku! Bad!_

Kagome grinned and shook her head. "I'll basically stuff my head with things that'll vanish during the actual test." She stood. Tugging her towel closer, she went over to Sesshoumaru and Rin. "—And Rin can play tag and skip rope and—" 

She motioned to Sesshoumaru. "Rin." The little girl stopped rambling. "Yes?" 

"She's doing great, but I have to go home and study for a test. Sort of like yesterday when I asked Rin questions and she answered them for me." 

"I know what a test is." 

Kagome stuck out her tongue. "Well, excuse me for explaining. Anyways. I have to go before Inuyasha comes back. Miroku, can you take Rin back to Kaede's when she's done with Sesshie-sama? Thanks!" Kagome sped off into the woods without a backwards glance. 

Rin giggled while Sesshoumaru stared after the miko, bewildered. " 'Sesshie-sama'?" 

"Kagome-neechan say Sesshie-sama is easier for Rin to remember. But Rin can remember Sesshoumaru-sama too." The little girl's face fell. "Is Sesshoumaru-sama taking Rin home now?" Before he could reply, she continued, "Rin doesn't want to go home yet. Kagome-neechan tell Rin she teach Rin more new things. Can Rin stay longer?" 

Sesshoumaru looked down at the small figure holding his leg in a death grip. _How can I tell her no? _Another thought came to him, paralyzing him with fear. _What happens when she decides to stay permanently? What will we do?_

Rin stared at him expectantly. He nodded. She squealed and danced around the demon lord. "Yay! Rin can stay!" 

"Rin." 

The little girl stopped dancing and watched him expectantly. 

"I have to go now. I shall be back soon." Rin nodded. Sesshoumaru turned to leave, then turned back and knelt before the little girl. He stuck his hand inside his sleeve and pulled out a small package. He handed it to the little girl, who squealed and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama!" 

The demon lord blushed. "It's from Jaken." 

"Tell Jaken-sama Rin say thank you!" Rin released the demon lord and raced off towards Kaede's. 

Miroku scrambled to his feet. "Rin, wait! Kagome-sama said to walk you back to… Lady Kaede's." He shook his head and bowed to Sesshoumaru. "Forgive me. I should have walked back with her." 

"Do not worry. She is safe." Sesshoumaru's cloud appeared below his feet, and he floated away into the night. 

Miroku stared after the demon lord, then turned to go to Kaede's. A crash in the woods somewhere close to him had his hand automatically grasp the prayer beads and looking around. 

Inuyasha came out from the woods. Miroku relaxed slightly. Until the moon came out from behind a cloud and he saw the look on the hanyou's face. The grip on the beads tightened until his knuckles turned white. _He knows… Kami-sama, he knows…_   
  


© 9/8/03, M.A.R.   


_Aphiopsyduck_: *bows* Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! *deep frown* Sorry? 

I know, I know... I've been gone for so long that you guys might have given up on me. Well, it's easy to explain. Remember the Inuyasha-Harry Potter crossover I mentioned? Well, after moving this story along to chapter 21, I stopped again to give it a rest. And wrote a prologue and 6 chapters--which is longer than THIS story is--for the crossover. I also wrote another one-shot, but I don't think either of those will see your choosy tastes. 

Unless someone actually WANTS to see that drivel. *grin* 

Anyhoo. This chapter was supposed to have a LONGER internal dialogue by our favorite Demon Lord, but this was the chapter that died on me before it would be properly saved, and when I had it almost recovered, the computer crashed. Which means that I lost it. 

Which sets up the next chapter's dialogue and violence. *EG* 

Enjoy this chapter and the next two, since I want to make up for being gone so long. Enjoy the brief cliffie, beware the language in the next, and see what happens when charactes unconsciously open up to the world. *smile* 

One last quick comment... I finally saw the episode where Sesshoumaru orders his other sword. Since I hadn't seen that chapter before writing this story, I couldn't have predicted that Rin actually talked normally in earlier episodes. I was under the impression that she didn't show up at all until MUCH later, and that she didn't tak until that point. So take my story lightly, since it's now obviously not a realistic reflection of the Inuyasha story arc like I thought it was. *sheepish grin* 

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)   



	14. Chapter 13: When plans go awry

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name. :o)   


_Aphiopsyduck:_ WARNING! Extreme language and violence ahead. Read with caution. :o)   
  


Chapter 13: When plans go awry

Kagome grabbed the weathered edge of the well. She looked around one last time, then clambered over the wooden side. She readied herself to jump, then paused. Something's not right… 

Kagome's hair stood on end. _What the—_ The air seemed tense, almost foreboding. She shook her head. _Imagining things right before a huge algebra test… Typical, Kagome… _She stuck out the tongue at herself, then poised her legs to slide into the well again. 

The whoosh of an air rip, so familiar yet completely unexpected, made her swing her legs back to the solid ground. She listened. _There! But why's Miroku using the air rip so late? Unless… Rin!_

Kagome raced back towards the village, willing her legs to go faster. _If something happens to Rin, I'll never forgive myself…_

***** 

Sesshoumaru heard the faint whoosh of air and paused. Ryu Hishou pawed at the air, each head snaking around every which way. Jaken looked over his shoulder. "There seems to be a battle, Master." 

Sesshoumaru turned. "Take Ryu Hishou and land somewhere. Stay as far away as you can, but wait for my call." Sesshoumaru stepped onto his cloud and flew towards the whooshing sound. 

***** 

Sango, Shippou and Hoonomei were outside Kaede's when Rin came running. "Sango-neechan! Sango-neechan!" 

All three stood. Kirara, perched on Sango's shoulder, growled into the night. "What's wrong, Rin?" 

The little girl's tear-stained face was enough for Sango. Without waiting for a reply, she went in and grabbed her boomerang. "Stay here with Shippou and Hoonomei." She raced off in the direction Rin had come from. 

***** 

"Traitorous son of a bitch! I'm gonna kill you!" Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga at Miroku, who rolled away from the blow. _I didn't bring my staff, but then again I didn't expect to get into a fight…Now I can't even use the air rip anymore… Smart, Miroku, really smart…_

Inuyasha swung again. Miroku raced in a circle away from him. "Dammit, Inuyasha, let me explain!" He dodged another swing. 

"Fuck that! You've explained enough!" Inuyasha swung again, but as Miroku rolled away the enraged hanyou managed to connect a punch. Miroku dropped to the ground. He looked back and saw Inuyasha standing over him, Tetsusaiga pointed at him. "You're dead, monk. No one can save you now." Miroku closed his eyes and said a prayer. 

Several things happened at once. Sango came into the clearing, saw Inuyasha swing his sword at Miroku's head, and threw her boomerang. Sesshoumaru came into the clearing at the same time she let go, dodged the boomerang, and yielded his light whip. He snapped the whip at Inuyasha's head at the same time Kagome came into the picture, took one look at the situation, and screamed, "SIT!" 

***** 

When the smoke cleared, Miroku was still sprawled on the floor, waiting for the final blow. Sango's boomerang had caught Sesshoumaru in the back of the leg when he didn't dodge it fast enough as it sailed back towards its owner. Sesshoumaru's whip missed Inuyasha's head by a foot, crashing instead into a nearby tree and severing it from its base. Inuyasha had vanished into an Inuyasha-shaped hole, and could be heard cursing faintly from several feet belowground. Kagome sank to her knees. "I hate you all!" 

Three pairs of eyes swung towards her. She sobbed, "One more test! All I needed was pass one more test to finish this trimester!" She angrily swiped at her tears, stood and walked over to the edge of the Inuyasha-shaped hole, which was strangely quiet all of a sudden. "Don't you dare get out of that hole, you asshole. That's your new home until I come back again. If I find out you've come out of there, I'll sit *thump!* you into the other side of the fucking planet!" 

She whirled towards Miroku. Her face was calm. Too calm. "Are you all right?" He jerkily nodded. "Good. I take it Inuyasha knows?" Another nod. "Perfect. Just perfect." Miroku shivered. _Oh, Kami, I'm dead…_

Kagome turned to Sango, who took a step back. She held up her hands in a placating gesture. "I am so sorry, Sango. I didn't mean to include you in this. I don't hate you." She turned to glare at the other two. "What the hell happened?" 

A large silver firecat chose that moment to charge into the clearing. Sango gripped her boomerang. He looked around until he saw Kagome, then rushed to her. In a swirl of silver and gold the firecat was gone, and an agitated Hoonomei grasped Kagome's hands and tugged. "Come on! Hurry!" 

"Hoonomei, what's wrong?" 

Hoonomei tugged her some more. "Shippou's hurt and Rin's trapped! Come on!" 

Sesshoumaru moved one foot towards Kaede's house. "Oh, no you don't. You're staying here." Kagome's voice stopped him dead. He growled. She glowered at him. "I'm responsible for her." She pointed to the hole. "You're in charge of that moron. Sango, please help him keep an eye on that hole. Any movement, use your boomerang." Kagome ran to Hoonomei, who had changed back, and climbed on. Both vanished into the night.   
  


© 9/8/03, M.A.R.   


_Aphiopsyduck_: *bows* Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! *deep frown* Sorry? 

I know, I know... I've been gone for so long that you guys might have given up on me. Well, it's easy to explain. Remember the Inuyasha-Harry Potter crossover I mentioned? Well, after moving this story along to chapter 21, I stopped again to give it a rest. And wrote a prologue and 6 chapters--which is longer than THIS story is--for the crossover. I also wrote another one-shot, but I don't think either of those will see your choosy tastes. 

Unless someone actually WANTS to see that drivel. *grin* 

Anyhoo. I apologize profusely if anyone was deeply offended by either the violence and/or the language. I was NOT a happy person when I wrote this chapter. *sheepish grin* 

Since I want to make up for being gone so long, I'm putting up one more chapter. I hope you enjoy what happens when charactes unconsciously open up to the world. *smile* 

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o) 


	15. Chapter 14: Of Demons and Children

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name. :o)   


Chapter 14: Of Demons and Children

Kagome's jaw dropped at the sight that greeted her. Shippou, bandaged head and all, kept staggering up to a blue energy bubble and throwing Foxfire at it. She smothered a smile. _He's dead tired, but won't give up… That's my little boy…_ Rin's mouth opened in a silent scream and pounded on the walls surrounding her. She looked around, saw Kagome, then motioned to Shippou. He turned and staggered a few feet before collapsing. Kagome jumped off Hoonomei and ran towards the small fox. She picked up his body. "Oh, Shippou…" Kagome ran to Kaede's and went in. She handed the kit to the old woman. 

"Thank Kami Hoonomei found you, child." 

"Lady Kaede, what happened to Shippou?" 

"The children were together when that energy bubble formed around Rin. Shippou tried to grab her before it closed, but it shocked him and he landed a few feet away. Hoonomei brought him to me, and after I bandaged his wounds he insisted on going outside to save her." The old woman heaved a tired sigh. "That prison is unbreakable. Can you help her?" 

"I caused it, Lady Kaede. There was a fight, and—" She paused. "Hold on. Be right back." 

She went outside and found Sesshoumaru about to use his light whip on the bubble. Rin clapped her hands and grinned happily. Kagome leaned casually on the doorframe. "Use that whip and you're screwed." 

Sesshoumaru ignored her and snapped the whip at the energy bubble. There was a huge flash, and Sesshoumaru found himself on the ground, smoking slightly. He wore a stunned expression. Rin laughed and clapped her hands delightedly. 

Kagome rolled her eyes and walked up to the bubble. She placed her palm on the side and waited. The bubble lowered to the ground and vanished. Rin stood there amazed, then rushed to Sesshoumaru. "Rin loved that! Do that again, Sesshoumaru-sama!" 

"Rin, can you please check on Shippou? He's not feeling well." Rin nodded. "Yes, Kagome-neechan!" The little girl sped towards Kaede's. Kagome's smile was replaced by a dark scowl. "Didn't I tell you to watch the idiot?" 

Sesshoumaru's stoic mask was back. "Rin was in danger. I came to save her." He stood, brushed the dirt off his clothes, and faced Kagome. "How did you manage to create such a powerful shield?" 

She waved his words off. "Eh, I've been practicing for such an occasion." 

"Such an—" 

Kagome glanced at her wrist and turned to leave. "I'll explain later. I'm already late. I'll probably flunk my test. But I still have to go and take it." She walked down the road. 

He blushed when he heard her mutter, "and maybe next time you'll listen to reason, you moron." She chuckled. "Rin did love that, though… Hmmm… That could be a new game: drop Sesshie-sama on his tail…" Kagome was now too far from him to hear any more. He walked up to Kaede's and knocked. Kaede stuck her head outside. "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?" 

"Is Rin all right?" 

Kaede gazed at him. She opened her door wide. He walked inside. "…And Sesshie-sama used his light rope and there was a flash and Sesshie-sama was on the ground! Rin think Sesshie-sama is funny!" Shippou and Rin giggled. Hoonomei tugged on the little girl's sleeve. She leaned towards him, and he whispered something in her ear. She turned to the demon lord and waved. She turned back to the kitsune. "Kagome-neechan then say—" 

Sesshoumaru turned to the older woman and bowed. She returned the bow, and invited him to sit. He shook his head and moved towards the door. Kaede followed him outside. "We do not care about who she is. We only care for her well-being." The demon lord nodded once and floated up on his cloud. 

***** 

"So Rin's not really your half sister." 

Miroku nodded miserably. He and Sango sat under a tree far from the hole Inuyasha was sentenced to be in for a few hours. Sesshoumaru had vanished last night after Kagome left. _I've failed. Kagome already hates me. Now Sango probably hates me for lying. Hopefully the boomerang kills me quickly…_ The monk waited for the feel of hardened demon bone upside his head. 

Sango shook. Miroku's head dropped lower. _I've made her cry… Oh, Kami…_ "Lady Sango, I—" 

Sango burst out laughing. "Oh, I'm so relieved!" 

_Relieved? _He dared to look at her. To his astonishment, she grinned. "And here I thought someday we'd have a female Miroku running around!" 

He sat cross-legged, hands in his sleeves. "I am feeling insulted, Lady Sango." 

She elbowed him. "You should've told us, houshi-sama. Or is it that you didn't want anyone else involved?" She threw her head towards the hole. Two red spots appeared on Miroku's cheeks. Sango sneaked a glance at his face. _Aha! There's more to this…_ She asked casually, "Did Kagome know about any of this?" Miroku turned crimson. 

Sango grinned and elbowed him again. "Ah, I see." 

"I do not know what you are referring to, Lady Sango." 

_Uh-huh. And I'm a demon. _Sango made a face. "You think Sesshoumaru's coming back?" Both ignored the growl coming from the hole. 

"I hope so. Fighting Inuyasha's tiring." Another growl came from the hole. 

Sesshoumaru floated down and landed in front of the two. Jaken came down beside him and slid off of Ryu Hishou. "Here, Master?" A snarl came from the hole. 

Sesshoumaru nodded. Jaken grabbed the reins of the flying demon and tied them to a low branch. He came over to the group and sat next to Sango. He offered her a half-hearted shake of his staff. She smiled slightly and shook her boomerang at him. 

"Do you believe Kagome will fulfill her commitment to me?" Another growl. 

Sango had enough. She got up and walked to the hole. "You either shut up or I'll make you shut up." 

Miroku absently nodded. "She shall return this evening. Unless something went wrong with her test." Sango came back and sat down. 

Sesshoumaru stared into space. Jaken fidgeted. "Jaken." 

"Yes, Master?" 

"Go." 

Jaken jumped up and raced off towards the town. "Have you two eaten?" Both humans shook their heads. "Go. I'll deal with him." 

Miroku got up. Sango fidgeted. "Are you sure? I mean, Kagome ordered me to help you…" Her comment trailed off when he raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, fine. But you're taking the blame." She got up and walked off with Miroku. 

Sesshoumaru sauntered over to the hole. "I know you can hear me. Stand up. I refuse to talk into empty space." 

Inuyasha's bruised head popped out, then warily glanced around. "Do not leave the hole. Even you know what Kagome will do if she finds out about it." Inuyasha crossed his arms and pouted. 

Sesshoumaru plopped down on the ground. His face was suddenly tired. Inuyasha's jaw dropped. _What the hell?_

"Do not interrupt me." Inuyasha nodded. "Rin is—important to me. To both of us. We will do whatever it takes to protect her." He stared hard at his younger brother. Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably. _I'm a threat to a little girl?_

"The monk came to me about a month ago to ask me a favor. What he offered me—Never mind. The details are not important." The demon lord looked up to the sky. "After reassuring myself that I was doing the right thing, I accepted both his terms and Kagome's terms. I see now it was a mistake." He stood. "I shall explain everything to Kagome when she returns. We shall leave in the morning." He went back to the tree and leaned against it, staring off into space. 

_No_, thought Inuyasha, _staring towards the village._

Inuyasha stood rooted to the spot. _Miroku wanted to help Sesshoumaru? But why?_ He peeked at his brother. _He seems… older._ Inuyasha plopped down on the floor._ I've been a fool…_   
  


© 9/8/03, M.A.R.   


_Aphiopsyduck_: *bows* Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! *deep frown* Sorry? 

I know, I know... I've been gone for so long that you guys might have given up on me. Well, it's easy to explain. Remember the Inuyasha-Harry Potter crossover I mentioned? Well, after moving this story along to chapter 21, I stopped again to give it a rest. And wrote a prologue and 6 chapters--which is longer than THIS story is--for the crossover. I also wrote another one-shot, but I don't think either of those will see your choosy tastes. 

Unless someone actually WANTS to see that drivel. *grin* 

Anyhoo. The action switchs over to Kagome's time after this chapter. I'll probably wait at least a week before posting the next one to give some time to any of my wandering readers to drop by and catch up. :o) 

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o) 


	16. Chapter 15: What now?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name. :o)   


Chapter 15: What now?

_a³+b²-c… add the coefficients… Huh?_ Kagome reread the next question again. 

_Find the standard equation of the hyperbole. Sketch the graph._

The numbers swam before her eyes. She shook her head and glanced around the classroom. Some people scribbled. One girl slept. Others were doodling. She glanced at the blank bottom half of the page, made a face and turned the sheet over. She stifled a groan. _Another word problem…_ She skimmed it. _Eh. Simple enough._ She scribbled some numbers and chewed on her pencil thoughtfully. She grabbed the test and flipped through the next two pages. _Almost done…_ She turned back to the word problem, erased a number, and wrote down something else. 

The bell rang. _Ack!_ "Please pass the tests forward." The rustle of papers floated around Kagome as she scribbled randomly on the test. 

*Bonk!* _Ow! What the—_ She turned to the guy behind her, who had smacked her on the head with the tests. He thrust the tests at her. They glowered at each other until Kagome yanked them out of his hand and turned to pass them forward. 

Her math teacher stood before her, hand outstretched. She stuck her test at the bottom of the pile and handed over the lot. "Thank you, Kagome. And by the way, I'm glad you've been feeling well enough to come to class." 

Kagome smiled slightly. She groaned inwardly. _Grandpa…_ She watched the teacher pack up and head out. She groaned and dropped her head loudly on the desk. "What else can go wrong today?" 

Someone cleared their throat. She banged her head on the desk a couple of times. "I just had to ask…" 

"Sorry?" 

Kagome looked up. It was the guy that sat behind her. She mustered up a smile. "Yes?" 

He bowed to her. "I'm deeply sorry. I didn't know who you were. Otherwise I'd have controlled my temper." He looked at her head. "Did I hurt you?" 

She blushed. "Eh. I've been told I have a hard head…" He raised his eyebrows. She coughed. "I'm fine. Really." 

Houjo raced by the classroom door, ran backwards and stopped at the door. "Thomas, we have to—oh, hello, Kagome. How are you feeling today?" 

Kagome blushed harder. "Better, thank you Houjo." She turned to Thomas. "Excuse me." She grabbed her lunch and went outside. 

She missed Thomas' thoughtful expression as she flew out the door. 

***** 

Kagome marched down to the quad. She met her squealing friends next to their favorite bench. "Kagome! Welcome back! How are you?" 

"I hate math." She dug into her lunch. Snatches of conversation floated around her. 

"And then she—" 

"But he's—" 

"The teacher—" 

"It blew up?" 

"Hey, did you all notice the exchange student?" Kagome's hand froze. _Ah, that explains it._

"He's the cute one, right?" 

"And he's single! Isn't that great?" 

"He's only been here a few days. Hey, Kagome, why'd he hit you?" 

All eyes turned to her. "Who, Thomas?" Eyebrows shot up. She shrugged. "Guess I didn't take his test fast enough." 

Everyone stared at Kagome, then whispered amongst themselves. The words "Houjo," "Thomas," and "Kagome" kept getting louder and louder. 

Kagome smothered a grin. _Here we go…_ "Hey, Kagome!" She turned to the voice and stared, wide-eyed, at her friends. 

"What about Houjo?" 

She almost burst out laughing. "I don't like Houjo that way, remember?" 

The bell rang. The girls whispered and turned their heads to watch Kagome every so often while walking back to the building. Kagome shook her head and followed. 

***** 

From her perch atop the stands, a lone Kagome watched the soccer team practice. Houjo passed the ball, turned to her, waved, and raced after his teammates. Hiding a smile, she turned back to her notebook. _Let's see… The science fair project's due next month, my spelling journal's due tomorrow—better have Souta bring it in for me—a family tree? _Kagome reread her last entry. She rolled her eyes. _Stupid sub… Why'd Mrs. K have to get pregnant?_

"Hello again. Staying late?" She turned to find Thomas taking a seat next to her. She looked back at her notebook, checked off a few things, nodded to herself, and closed it. She laid it aside. "Oh, sorry about that. I hadn't realized you were doing homework. I'll leave you alone." Thomas had jumped up and was bowing to her. 

Kagome shook her head. "Just making sure I have everything ready for tomorrow." She waved at him to sit down again. He dropped his bag next to hers and plopped down. He smiled and extended his hand. "We haven't been formally introduced. My name is Thomas Robertson. And you are…?" 

"Kagome Higurashi. Nice to meet you." She stuck out her hand too. 

"Nice to meet you too." He grasped her hand and kissed it. Kagome stared at her hand, bewildered. 

Thomas saw the look on her face and laughed. "Sorry. Old family custom." 

_Old family—_Kagome bolted upright. "Wh-what did you say?" 

"Kagome, you don't look good. Want me to call Houjo?" 

"No!" The soccer team stopped and stared at them. She blushed and hastily waved at Houjo, who grinned, waved back and motioned to the others to move. "I-I mean, I'm fine. My lunch must have been spoiled." She finished lamely. 

Thomas nodded sympathetically. Both sat in a comfortable silence for some time. 

"Well I—" 

"It's late—" 

Both broke off, laughing. "Ladies first." 

"It's getting late. I have to head home." 

Thomas nodded. "Want me to walk you home? I promise to be a gentleman." He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. 

Kagome froze. She stared at Thomas. _His eyes—So familiar…_ Something clicked. Of all the rotten luck! She smiled slightly. "Maybe some other time. I don't want you to go out of your way. I'll see you tomorrow." _Not!_

She stuffed her notebook inside her bag and shot up. She waved at Houjo, grabbed her bag, and sped down the stand steps. 

***** 

Kagome raced home. She banged the front door open. "Mama!" Her mom stuck her head out the kitchen door. "Yes, sweetheart?" 

Kagome threw down her backpack. "Since when does 'reincarnation' mean 'let's torture Kagome'?" She turned abruptly and ran upstairs muttering angrily. Her mom shook her head and went back to the kitchen. 

***** 

The group sat around Inuyasha's temporary home. Shippou, Hoonomei and Rin had spent the afternoon throwing sticks into the hole, and drawing lines on the ground every time Inuyasha growled, because it would cause Sango to threaten him with the boomerang. Rin had been winning, but only because she'd caused Sango to smack Inuyasha when he'd popped up after hearing Rin's "Hello, Kagome-neechan!" After that, Miroku told them to find something else to do, and they'd dragged Jaken off to play. 

Sesshoumaru's voice broke the comfortable silence. "She's back." He paused. "Hmmm… She seems highly agitated." Miroku stared at the ground. Sango shook her head. 

A few minutes later, Kagome came into the clearing. She glanced around, stared at the hole, and went over to Sango. She jerked her thumb towards the woods. Sango nodded and followed the distressed teenager. 

Sesshoumaru glanced at the monk. _He's frightened… Does he still feel responsible?_ The demon lord walked to the hole and knelt. He lowered his head as far as he could without tumbling in. "Talk to the monk and apologize, little brother. Now." He stood and went back to lean on his tree. 

Inuyasha's head came out of the hole slowly. He glanced around and smelled the air. He bounded out of the hole and went to Miroku. He sat next to him. He mumbled something. 

Miroku turned to him. "Huh?" 

Inuyasha groaned. "Look, I'm sorry, ok?" 

Miroku nodded slowly. He watched Inuyasha as he bounded back to the hole and jumped in. He shook his head and glanced at Sesshoumaru. The demon lord looked back at him and turned to the village once more. 

The girls came back. Both sat far away from Miroku. Sango seemed amused. Kagome glared at him. "Inuyasha, you can come out now." 

Inuyasha's head came out slowly from the hole again. He watched Kagome warily. "I believe you owe everyone here an apology." 

Inuyasha cringed. Kagome's eyes narrowed. "I—I'm sorry." 

Kagome nodded once, satisfied. She turned her attention to Sesshoumaru. "I can't protect her if I'm far away from her or if she's out of my sight, so I've been working on a long-distance anti-demon shield." She shrugged. "I thought she was in danger. I was too far away to protect her physically, so the shield went up. End of story." He quirked an eyebrow at her. 

Kagome yawned and stood. "Sorry. Slept two hours last night. Need sleep. Sleep good. Someone cook the ramen." She ambled off towards Kaede's. "Oh, and Sesshoumaru? Don't take Rin yet. She has a few more basics to learn. Two more weeks as planned." She vanished off into the night. 

Sesshoumaru's jaw dropped. Sango laughed. Miroku grinned. "Don't worry. She does that all the time."   
  


© 9/16/03, M.A.R. 

Quick disclaimer part 2: Thomas Robertson is mine. Well, the one in the story is. Any other Thomas Robertsons out there are not mine. :o) 

_Aphiopsyduck_: Hello again! I usually don't answer reader's questions in the story unless they're anonymous--I prefer to email them directly most of the time. But since this question has come up at least 3 times already, I'll answer it here. :o) This is _supposed_ to be a Kagome/Miroku fic. They're slightly reluctant to get together, which explains why it's taking so long. I apologize to all Inu/Kag fans who might have hoped she'd end up with him in this story. Yes, I'd love the idea of them getting together, but it's been done to death by other authors already--plus it's the main theme of the manga/show. 

And to those few who are wondering if it's a Sesshie/Kago fic, sorry to you guys too. But rest assured, my crossover with Harry Potter has another alternate pairing--even if our dear, sweet Kagome seems to have something up her sleeve in that one... Anyhoo. That's the Sesshie/Kago story I'm trying to write, but she just won't cooperate. :-P If I ever decide to post that story, readers of this fic already have the main pairing, so you'll be ahead of the game. 

Here's the recommendation of the day. I found this site thanks to another reader, so just in case you haven't seen it already, here it is again: http:// geocities. com/ insolency/ mklist.html (remember to remove the spaces!) It's all Kagome/Miroku stories from ff.net, as far as I know. Check them out--who knows? Maybe you'll find some new favorites or reread old forgotten ones.   


(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o) 


	17. Chapter 16: The joys of parenthood

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name, along with Thomas Robertson. :o)   


Chapter 16: The joys of parenthood

"Gimme!" 

"Mine!" 

"Let go!" 

"Mama!" 

Sango nudged Kagome. "Your son wants you…" 

Kagome mumbled in her sleep and rolled over. Right into Miroku. Who made the mistake of taking advantage of her position… 

*Slap!* "Hentai!" 

The children giggled. Kagome glared at Miroku's blank expression and reddening cheek, then turned to her son. "What's wrong, Shippou?" 

"Uhhh… I forgot." 

Kagome rolled her eyes and yawned. "What time is it?" She peeked at her watch. "Eek! I'm late!" She tried to jump out of her sleeping bag but ended up tangled within it. She struggled and ignored the giggles from the children. "Want some help, mama?" 

Ever since that scene with the energy shield, Kagome had started calling Shippou her son. He, in turn, called her mama, but only when he wanted something from her, or on rare occasions when he wanted to help. Like today. "Sure. Help me out of here." Shippou hopped over to her and helped her untangle the sleeping bag. She hugged him and grabbed her clothes. 

"Ground rules. Kids, listen to Miroku and Sango. Rin, Sesshoumaru's visiting you today. Behave until then. I'll bring you guys something special. And leave Inuyasha alone." Three heads nodded. "Do not play alone. Stay near Kaede's. And leave Inuyasha alone." More nods. 

Satisfied, Kagome finished packing and grabbed her bag. Her legs buckled under the weight. Miroku rushed over and helped her back up, grabbing the bag from her hands. Her eyes narrowed, but when he made no move towards her person she relented and smiled. Both walked outside. Shippou looked at Hoonomei and Rin. "What was that about?" 

***** 

Miroku walked behind Kagome, struggling to keep his hold on the bag. She kept glancing back, blushing, then facing forward. _She's been acting strange ever since she came back last time. I wonder why… _For the past week, Kagome had either ignored him or glared at him. No matter what he did or said, her responses were the same. Miroku was confused. He even tried to talk to Sango about it. The demon exterminator had burst out laughing, shaken her head and walked off, leaving him bewildered. 

The well stood ahead of them. _Better ask her what's the matter now…_ Kagome had reached the well and was sitting on the wall, watching him. She reached for the bag. His eyes glazed over. _She looks so beautiful… _His step faltered and he stumbled forward. Right into her. Kagome started to go backwards into the well. 

The bag dropped as he grabbed her arms and pulled her forward into a tight hug. "I'm sorry. Are you all right, Kagome?" He pushed her back and looked her over. "Did I hurt you?" 

Twin red spots on her cheeks spread throughout her face. She murmured, "I'm fine…" 

Their eyes locked. They stood there for a minute or an hour, Kagome wasn't sure. _Is he getting closer?_

"Feh. I should've known. Hands off, pervert!" Both teens jumped apart guiltily and turned to the voice. A black-haired Inuyasha had the untransformed Tetsusaiga on his shoulder. He sneered at them. "Weren't you late, wench? Or did you find something better to do here?" He sneaked a glance at Miroku, whose bland expression was ruined by the deep shade of scarlet that covered his entire face. 

"Oh, you—you—SIT!" Inuyasha dropped into the ground, cursing. Kagome yanked her bag from the ground, threw it into the well, and jumped in without a backwards glance. Miroku shook his head and walked back to the village. 

***** 

"She said I could do it!" 

"It's Rin's turn!" 

"Give it back!" 

Miroku found himself surrounded by crying children. All chattered at him through their tears. "Now, now, calm down… What's the matter?" Three voices told him the problem. He held up a hand. "Stop. One at a time. Hoonomei?" 

"Shippou doesn't want to share." 

"Mama said it was mine!" 

"Kagome-neechan say we share!" 

Miroku held out his hand. Shippou hung his head and placed the small object in the palm. Miroku pointed towards Kaede's, and the children kicked their way over to the porch, grumbling. Miroku looked at his palm. He rolled his eyes at the purple electronic game. _She needs to bring one for everyone or keep this one at home. Doesn't she realize it's a problem?_

Sango came back on Kirara. She took one look at Kaede's porch and grinned. "What'd they do now?" 

"Kagome gave this to Shippou and expected him to share." He showed her the game. "Doesn't she know Shippou's not the type to share anything she gives him?" 

"She's trying to make him happy." 

"She should have thought of the others. Would you keep an eye on them?" He pocketed the offending game and ambled off towards the river. Sango grinned to herself. _So mother indulges, father lays down the law…and neither realizes what's happening…_

***** 

Sesshoumaru landed Ryu Hishou near the river. He tied the reins on a low branch. Jaken hadn't stirred. _He shouldn't have stayed up late preparing everything for Rin's return… I have servants for such matters…_ Sesshoumaru turned towards the village and found Miroku kneeling near the river, deep in thought. _Oh?_ He watched him for a few minutes. _Hn. He hasn't moved. I wonder what has happened. _He made his way over to the monk and stood next to him. Miroku didn't move. _This is strange_. "You could be dead by now, monk." 

Miroku startled and fell into the river. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes in disgust. "Lovesick pup…" 

***** 

  


© 9/24/03, M.A.R.   


_Aphiopsyduck_: Hello! I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the epilogue has been rewritten and is ready for posting! Yay! 

The bad news is that the story is almost done--I'm up to chapter 24 and counting--but the ending seems to be an open one. I don't know if that will change, but as of right now, it seems that way. 

Hmmm. Let me try to clarify. Yes, they'll be together, but not like in other stories. In short, it might leave the door open for a sequel, but maybe not. We'll see what happens. 

Sorry about the short chappie, btw. Next one's longer, I promise. :o) And I do realize they're acting slightly OOC, but since this story went off the main story track long ago, it may be excusable. Or maybe not. *smile*   


(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o) 


	18. Chapter 17: School daze

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) I don't own Harry Potter either, just the books and assorted stuff, much of it being Slytherin stuff. But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name, along with Thomas Robertson. :o)   
  


Chapter 17: School daze

"And that concludes today's lesson. Please read chapter 12, people! And do the homework! Kagome, a word…" 

Kagome cringed. _Oh, damn…_ She waited until her classmates left the room for lunch, then approached the front. "Yes, Professor?" 

"I wanted to congratulate you. That history test score was the highest you've had all year." 

"Thank you, sir." 

"I wanted to ask you a favor. One of the students is having trouble in history. Would you mind helping him out today? Just for a few minutes. He needs a refresher in Feudal Japan history, if his test score's any indication..." 

Kagome smiled. "Of course, sir. I'll meet him in the library during study hall and after school." 

"Thank you, Kagome. You're a dear. How's your little brother? Is he ready for high school?" 

_More than I am…_ "Not for a few more years, sir." 

"He was here a week ago gathering your homework. He's a good kid." 

Kagome nodded. "Thank you, sir." 

The teacher looked at his watch. "Gosh, I'm late. Kagome, thank you for helping that poor student out. He needs all the help he can get." He stuffed his briefcase with his notes and the history textbook. "I'll let him know you're meeting him, so don't worry. Have a good day!" 

"Thank you, sir…" Kagome waited until her history professor left, then kicked the teacher's desk. "Dammit! Why me? Why today?" She grumbled all the way back to her seat. " 'Of course, sir. I'll help him, sir.' I must have 'stupid' on my back somewhere." She yanked her lunch out of her bag, then went to the hallway. "What else can—" She paused. She shook her fist at the ceiling. "Oh, no. I'm not falling for that again!" 

***** 

Kagome looked at her watch. _He's late… Whoever it is…_ She shrugged and went back to her Harry Potter book. _A Firebolt? Ooh! This is getting good…_

Someone tapped her shoulder. Hard. "Ouch! Who—Oh, hello, Thomas. S'up?" 

He pulled out his history text. "Help?" He gave her a lopsided grin. 

Her jaw dropped and snapped shut. "I should have known…," she muttered as she gestured to the seat next to her. 

"What's that?" She glanced at Thomas, who looked back at her strangely. 

"Seems I tempted Fate earlier today. Now, why are we here?" 

"Because my recall skills are lacking." He pulled out a sheet from his book and placed it in front of her. She zeroed in on the score in the corner and the neat checks lining the edge of the paper and grimaced. "He hinted at a quiz next Monday, and I need help." 

"You missed your own name?" 

He dropped his head and mumbled something. Kagome laughed. "Yes, I can see you're having trouble remembering things." She opened her own history text. "Okay. What do you need to know?" 

"How to concentrate during the test." He pulled out a pack of notecards tied with some gold ribbon and handed them to Kagome. "These are my notes for the test." 

She untied the ribbon and shuffled through the cards. "These are great!" 

"I spent a week working on them. I knew it all. It drove my mother crazy. And then this happens." He glared at the test. 

She sighed. _I had hoped for an easy assignment, but…_ She looked at the wall clock and grimaced inward. _I hope Sesshie-sama doesn't leave until I get back… Maybe he can leave tomorrow?_ She realized that Thomas was still talking. 

"—and he said I could ask the vice principal to retake the test, what with the language barrier and everything." He watched her expectantly. 

_Uh-oh… Did I miss something?_ "Um, isn't that a good thing?" 

He smirked. "You were daydreaming." 

"I was not!" She tried to imitate Miroku's blank face, but failed miserably, if Thomas' grin was any indication. 

"Uh-huh. And I'm a monk." He made a face and grabbed his backpack. Kagome almost fell from her seat. 

He rooted around until his head came out. He had a smirk. "Here. There's payment for today's help." He dropped two electronic games in front of her. "One's for now and one's for this afternoon's session. And I won't take no for an answer. I'm desperate." He smiled at her. 

"I'll help, but I can't take these. Pass the test as payment." She smiled back at him and pushed the games back towards him. His smile faltered a little, but he grabbed the games and put them in his bag. 

"First things first. What made you lose your concentration last time?" 

He grinned. "A cute girl." 

_Kami, does he ever change?_

***** 

"Kagome! Hey, Kagome!" 

Kagome's run faltered. "Sorry Thomas, but I have to go. I'm late." 

"But… But… What about the test?" 

She stopped and turned. "You know what you're doing. You're prepared. Unless you want me to go in with you and hold your hand, I can't do anything else for you." 

"You promised. How can I repay you if you don't finish helping me?" The lopsided grin was back. 

Kagome's resolve faded. "Oh, all right, fine. Come on. We can review while we go to my place." She waved him along and resumed her running. He kept the pace alongside her and recited information from his notes. 

Both teens reached the shrine and raced up the steps. Thomas followed Kagome inside the house. "Mom! Guest! I'll be right back, ok? Make yourself at home." She dumped her bag next to the door and raced upstairs to change. 

When she came back, Thomas was reciting history facts from his notecards to her family. She noticed the drinks and the snacks on the low table. She smiled to herself and wandered into the kitchen to find food. She was deep in thought inside the fridge when she heard her worst nightmare. 

"Took you long enough to come back. Busy with the new guy, perhaps?" 

Kagome dropped the plate in her hand, jumped up and banged her head on the fridge. She grabbed her newest bruise and muttered a few choice words. 

"Feh, nice language, wench." 

She hissed, "What're you doing here?" She came out of the fridge and almost giggled hysterically. Inuyasha stood, with hands crossed, in black jeans, a black shirt, black tennis shoes, and a baseball cap over his tied-back black hair. 

He replied in low tones, "Are you finished with your man? We need to go back. We have a problem." 

She opened her mouth to reply when footsteps stopped her. Thomas stuck his head in the kitchen. "I have to go home. Thanks for all your help today." He turned to Inuyasha and smiled. "Nice to have met you, Inuyasha. See you around." His head disappeared again and his footsteps receded. Kagome's face turned into an indifferent mask as she brushed past Inuyasha and went into the living room. "Let me walk you to the door, Thomas." 

***** 

Kagome caught up with Thomas by the stairs. He slowed his pace. "Thank you for all your help today." Kagome noticed how his voice seemed edgy. 

"Thomas, are you okay?" 

"No." Thomas stopped abruptly. His voice dropped to barely a whisper. "I thought… I didn't believe… How can you stand it?" He whirled and pointed back at the shrine. "How can you stand being around someone like that?" 

Kagome watched, horrified, as Thomas engaged in a loud tirade. "He's rude, self-centered, annoying, obnoxious… He had the _gall_ to ask me why I was there! Who does he think he is? It's not like he—" He suddenly paled. His hands went over his mouth, his expression shocked. He turned away from Kagome and dropped his head. 

Thomas tightened his grip on the backpack. He turned and offered Kagome a deep bow and a strained smile. "I am deeply sorry. Your friends are none of my business. I shall take my leave now. I will keep you appraised about my situation if you are still interested. If you will excuse me…" He turned and ran down the stairs, his flashlight's beam bouncing with every step. 

Kagome stared after him, bemused. _I get all the strange ones…_

***** 

  
  


© 10/6/03, M.A.R.   


_Aphiopsyduck_: This chapter was all ready to go last Tuesday. It's now a week later Monday. Author is apologizing profusely to those readers waiting with baited breath for this chapter. Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry. Did I say I was sorry? :o( I blame my new Gamecube and Animal Crossing. And the baseball playoffs. *EG* My team isn't playing this year, but two of my adopted ones are, which means I'll be glaring at Oakland tonight and at Florida tomorrow night. 

Go Cubs! Go Boston! To the World Series! :-D 

What follows is my original message. It still stands, so it's staying in. :o) 

*************************************************************************** 

Hello! I have some good news. I finally for a Gamecube! Yay me! *happy dance* 

Erm... Ahem. Anyhoo. I've gotten into Animal Crossing. Neat, engrossing little game... *GRIN* 

No, I haven't forgotten you, my faithful readers. The final chappies of this story are being revised and rewritten--there's a scene in there I might change or eliminate altogether--but this story's not finished yet. Not by a long shot. 

For starters, I haven't deciphered how they're getting together. *sheepish grin* 

But do not despair. After I finish revising chapters 22 through 24, I'll know more of where the story stands. And where it's going, since it refuses to tell me. :-P 

Final word: If you've been waiting for the Gamecube's price to drop, GO NOW! :-D 

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o) 


	19. Chapter 18: Excuse me?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) I don't own Harry Potter either, just the books and assorted stuff, much of it being Slytherin stuff. But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name, along with Thomas Robertson. :o)   


Chapter 18: Excuse me?

Kagome's arm was yanked backwards. Her other hand shot out towards the source and struck Inuyasha. "Bitch, stop that!" 

Almost absentmindedly, Kagome replied, "Sit." Both went down. 

"Ouch! Let go!" She wrested her arm away from Inuyasha's grasp and sat cross-legged far away from him. 

"Serves you right!" Inuyasha struggled against the spell. "We need to go now!" 

"I need my stuff!" 

He went up onto his elbows and glared at her. "No, you don't." 

She looked down at her faded jeans and green sweatshirt. "Fine. I'll walk around in these clothes until they're so nasty you'll beg me to go home." 

He went up onto his knees. "I don't care about what you do. I just need to take you back." 

She got up slowly and backed away further. "Inuyasha…" 

"And I'll do it any way I can!" He sprung up at her, grabbed her by the waist, and threw her over his shoulder. He threw a wave at Kagome's family, who had come outside to watch. Her mom smiled and waved, her brother grinned and cheered, and her grandpa scowled. 

Kagome sighed. "Okay, fine. Souta, please take my homework to school tomorrow! It's on my desk!" Souta waved and nodded. 

Inuyasha strutted over to the well house, went inside, and dropped down the well with Kagome still on his shoulder. 

***** 

Kagome grabbed a fistful of white hair and tugged hard. "Will you please tell me what's the matter?" Kagome waited. Inuyasha ignored her question for the third time. "Okay, that's it. Either tell me, or I'll say it." 

He glanced at her, smirking. "Remember what happened the last time you did?" 

"Right now, I don't care. Either you tell me, or we'll both go down." She blushed as she realized what she'd said. "I—I mean—" 

Inuyasha's laughter rumbled in his chest. "Oh, forget it. By the way, I brought your bag over earlier today. We're back!" 

Inuyasha put Kagome down as three small figures rushed out of Kaede's. The figures rushed over and knocked her off her feet. All three were crying. 

"Wait—what—Huh?" Kagome looked back at Inuyasha, who had a huge grin on his face. He shrugged and jumped up to his favorite sleeping tree. Seconds later, his modern clothes dropped down at the base of the tree in a heap. She sighed. _Baka…_

She held up her hand. "Calm down, guys." Three heads nodded, sniffling. She smiled and dropped to her knees. She watched each child. "Thank you. Hello, kids. Did you have a good day?" Three heads shook. Her smile faltered. "O-kay… Want to tell me about it? One at a time?" More head shaking. She stifled a sigh. "Fine. Let's go to Kaede's—" 

"NO!" She lost her balance and fell backwards. Six fearful eyes looked back towards the wooden hut, then back to her. 

"Um, Inuyasha? Could you please watch the kids? I'll be right back." 

"No." She looked upwards and caught a glimpse of his silver hair as it vanished deep into the woods. 

"Why you little—!" She took a deep breath. She hugged her knees and dropped her head onto them. "Where's Miroku?" Silence. She looked up. 

Their wide eyes had narrowed and their faces had turned mutinous. Kagome scrunched up her face in confusion. "Where's Sango-chan?" Three faces turned away, but not before Kagome saw the anger in them. Kagome had had enough. She stood and marched to Kaede's. She pulled open the door and went inside. 

***** 

"—that it's impossible." Everyone turned towards the door as Kagome came inside. She strode forward, stared everyone down, and planted her hands on her hips. Her eyes were not their usual color, but rather a deep emerald green. Her miko powers were just recognizable, but it was apparent she was keeping a tight reign on her temper. Everyone exchanged worried glances. 

"Lady Kagome…" Emerald eyes turned towards the voice. "Please remember that I had my home fixed…" Kagome nodded. 

"Why are there three crying/angry children outside?" Her unnaturally calm voice made everyone turn towards the demon lord, who shifted uncomfortably. 

"I have nothing to do with her change." Sesshoumaru frowned at the group. "Why would I, Lord Sessh—" 

"Then, if someone would be so kind—" Kagome continued on as if he hadn't spoken, "—to tell me what the hell is going on?" 

"Lady Kagome, language!" The monk's shock was evident in his voice. 

"Fuck you. Now answer me." 

"Yes?" She turned towards the voice with narrowed eyes. Miroku shrunk back. She smiled at him, yet it didn't reach her eyes. "Lady Kaede? You don't happen to have another necklace, right? Maybe something along the lines of 'celibate'? Or 'chaste' perhaps?" Miroku paled and shut his mouth. Sango snorted into her hand. 

"Since it seems like no one wants to answer, I'll try something different. Why was Inuyasha in my time?" 

"We were worried when you did not come back early, Kagome." 

"Why are there three kids crying one minute, and murderous the next?" 

Sesshoumaru stood. "I accept the blame. I told Rin she was going home today. There are extenuating circumstances, and she cannot remain here." 

Her power flared down and her eyes returned to normal. "You mean to tell me this is all because Rin's leaving?" She smacked her palm on her forehead. "Silly me, I thought it was life or death. Never mind, I apologize. I'll go wring some necks now." She grinned and bounced back out the door. 

Sango turned to the group. "Who's going to follow and tell her she's going too?" 

***** 

Kagome went towards the tree and found three small figures huddled together, sleeping soundly. She sat next to the nearest tree, leaned back, and closed her eyes. "Trouble at home, trouble here… When will it end?" 

"So, are you going?" 

She shook her head at Inuyasha's voice and grinned. "Not yet. I'll sneak off when you're not looking." 

He dropped next to her. "You'd leave without saying goodbye?" 

She turned to him. "What are you talking about?" 

His eyes had lost their spark. "Are. You. Leaving." 

"Well, I'll need to go back for my clothes and supplies every few days, like usual…" She trailed off when he dropped his head. "Inuyasha? What's the matter?" 

"Why aren't you answering? I want to know. I need to know." He leaned forward so his hair would cover half his face. "I—I don't want you to go, but it's not up to me anymore. But if you go, it's okay. I—we'll manage somehow." He bounded upwards and into the forest. 

***** 

  
  
  
  


© 10/16/03, M.A.R. 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ Hello faithful readers! I have some good news. Chapter 24 will the the longest one in the story. I was thinking about removing a scene from it, but somehow it took a life of its own and wrote itself into the story. And I don't know where to split it, so it's staying long. Which means there won't be a lenghty author's note at the bottom. 

Now for the bad news. Chapter 20 refuses to cooperate. It's the shortest one yet. Which means that the next update will be for 2 chappies instead of one. 

Now for the horrible news. I'm still stuck. Story has no end yet. But I'm working on it. :o) 

Someone new R&R my one shot! I'm happy! *does happy dance* 

(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o) 


	20. Chapter 19: Dreams and revelations

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) I don't own Harry Potter either, just the books and assorted stuff, much of it being Slytherin stuff. But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name, along with Thomas Robertson. :o)   


Chapter 19: Dreams and revelations

**Kagome's sleep was disturbed by familiar voices. "Feh, leave her. She didn't bring the Ramen."******

**"We are not leaving her just because you're hungry. Go hunt for something."******

**"Daddy bring food for Rin! See?"******

**"Ooh! Can I have some?"******

**"Me too!"******

**"No! This food is Rin's!"******

**Kagome scooted deeper under the covers, hoping her movements would go unnoticed. No such luck.******

**"Honey! The boys want Rin's food!"******

**"We don't want all of it! We want to share!"******

**"Stop it!" The room stilled. Kagome stuck her head out and grimaced at the brightness . Ow, my head… Where am I? "What time is it?"******

**"It's late. You were supposed to get up early."******

**She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, muttering, "So sue me. I had a tough night last night."******

**"I'll say!" The people around her laughed. She cracked open an eye and paled.******

**The forest had vanished. She was sleeping in a lavish room, surrounded by several empty futons. Kagome looked around. Sango and Inuyasha sat together on the floor reading a magazine. Miroku had a laughing Rin on his shoulders, while Shippou and Hoonomei jumped around him trying to snatch her tennis shoes. Wait a sec… Tennis shoes?******

**Sesshoumaru came in the door, tugging on his tie and shoving an arm into his suit. "Great! You're up, sis. Can you take everyone to the mall? I'll catch up with you guys later. Take your cell phone, ok? Thanks!" He patted her head, hugged Rin, and rushed out the door again.******

**Kagome stared after him with an amused look. "Did he just pat my head?"******

**"Don't touch my woman!"**

Kagome started out of her dream. _What the—_

"I said, don't touch my woman!" She grimaced at the voice. _Dammit, what now?_

She stretched and looked around. The forest was still deep in shadow. She glanced at her watch. She pressed the little button, and the numbers flashed brightly at her. _Not even 3 A.M.! _She stood, holding on to the tree for support. She sensed three shards close by. She glanced at the kids, who were now wide-awake and fearful. She motioned to them, and all three raced over to her. She sat back down and hugged all three close to her. She held a finger in front of her lips, closed her eyes and concentrated. "Don't let go of me…" 

"I know my woman! You were touching her!" Kagome opened her eyes briefly, and pinpointed the voice's location. She smirked, shook her head, and muttered a few words. The voice vanished. 

"Okay, kids. We're safe from the scary voice." _Which I'll kill later… How can he confuse me with…her!?!_ "But don't let go of me, or you might get hurt." She smiled at them and received two smiles in return. "Rin? Are you all right?" 

The little girl shook her head and shivered. Kagome pulled all three in a close hug. "What to tell us about it?" 

The little girl replied in a small voice, "Scary voice hurt Rin." 

Kagome and Shippou paled, Hoonomei growled, and a deep growl rushed by the foursome. "Oh, no… Sesshoumaru, stop!" 

Kagome jumped up, dragging the kids with her. She paused, put the kids down, and raced after the angry demon lord. She waved her hand backwards and encased all three inside an orange energy bubble, which floated upwards into the trees. 

***** 

_Scary voice hurt Rin…_ Four words that had struck fear deep inside Sesshoumaru's body and soul. Fear that had turned to blind hatred when he realized what she meant. The demon lord's eyes were bleeding red. He barely registered the human voice yelling at him to calm down. He growled and burst through the dense brush, the nagging voice left somewhere behind him. He took in a rumpled Inuyasha with Tetsusaiga at the ready, and the soul stealers behind him floating off into the night. He concentrated on the only figure left, the one facing his half-brother. He growled. 

The figure turned. Sesshoumaru registered the surprise and fear on this newcomer, but his scent was familiar. He bared his fangs. _Wolf… _Poison dripped from his claws. His eyes were red, but he was barely managing to refrain from transforming. 

Inuyasha faltered and watched his older brother and his rival. He smirked, sheathed his sword, sat down and waited. _This'll be good…_

"Lord Sesshoumaru, to what do I owe the pleasure—" Sesshoumaru backhanded off the rest of the sentence. He growled again. 

Kouga turned his head slightly and mumbled out of the side of his mouth, "Um, Inuyasha, why's he acting like this?" 

"No clue, pal." 

"You're enjoying this, aren't you, dog turd?" 

"You got it, you wimpy wolf." 

Kagome crashed through the same hole Sesshoumaru had made minutes earlier. She went up to Sesshoumaru and placed a hand on his arm. She murmured something. He shook his head. Inuyasha's ears perked up, and his jaw dropped. He turned to Kouga, whose face was mirroring his shocked expression. Inuyasha smirked. "You're screwed now, wolf…" 

Kagome had missed the exchange between the two young rivals. She sighed at the demon lord. "Kouga-kun, please leave. Now." 

Kouga turned to her, cocked his head and looked Kagome up and down. "Kagome, what happened to your miko clothes?" 

"Never mind that. Go now." She turned away from him, and he reached over to stop her. Sesshoumaru backhanded him again. 

Kouga wiped the blood from his busted lip. "What the—" 

"Sesshoumaru, stop it. He doesn't understand." 

"I shall make him understand." 

"Please don't force me to choose. Inuyasha's tried that one before and it hasn't worked!" 

Sesshoumaru's calm face turned to her. "I, Lord Sesshoumaru, do not follow orders from humans." 

Kagome's eyes narrowed. She turned from the angry demon lord, went up to Kouga, and slapped him. Kouga whined, hurt by her actions. "Get the hell out of here, Kouga. We'll talk later, I'll make sure of it." She walked back the way she came, stopping in front of Sesshoumaru once more just long enough to hiss two words at him before leaving the clearing. "I quit." 

***** 

Miroku watched an extremely infuriated Kagome pack up her backpack. Well, 'pack' was too nice a term for what she was doing. "Um, Kagome—" 

She turned angry eyes to him. "What?" 

"Where are the kids?" Yes, safe topic. 

"Up a tree somewhere." She went back to shoving her extra pair of jeans inside the worn bag. 

"Should I go find them?" 

"Miroku, leave me the hell alone. I'm going home for a while, and I need to pack. I'll bring them down when I'm good and ready." She grabbed one of Rin's books, rolled it up, and shoved it down the side. Miroku heard fabric tearing and grimaced. Kagome growled, grabbed the bag, and threw it against a wall. The contents of the bag spilled inside Kaede's cramped home with a cacophony of odd noises. 

Kagome glared at the bag, sat back down and sighed. She pulled up her legs and dropped her head on her knees. "Kouga's dead." 

Miroku started at the way she uttered those two words. _What the—_

"Don't talk, Miroku. Don't. Just listen." Kagome scooted over to him and sat close to him. She grabbed the cursed hand and toyed with the prayer beads. She chuckled, a sad facsimile of the usual melodic tinkle in her voice. "We should have realized it sooner, Miro. We missed the signs. And now Kouga's dead." 

Miroku's eyes followed her hands as he resisted the strong urge to yank his hand away. He barely registered her soft words as they washed over him in a calming manner. 

"I thought he'd changed. That he'd, I dunno, mellowed out. Calmed down. But he hasn't. He wouldn't even give Kouga a chance to explain." Her finger traced the black glove on his hand. He swallowed and prayed to every divinity out there that Kagome wouldn't notice _anything_ different about him. 

"I'm leaving for a while, Miro. I don't know when I'm coming back, if ever." Her quiet statement brought Miroku to his senses. She looked deep into his wide eyes. "I know I'm acting strangely. I know I've been acting strangely for some time. Thanks for ignoring it—me." Her slight smile drooped. "Look at this. The same person bitching about Inuyasha's snubs is glad you've chosen to pay no attention to her lately." She let go of his hand and stood. Her back to Miroku, she sat by her bag, righted it, and reached for everything that had fallen out. 

Miroku fought with the fog clouding his mind. "Kagome, I'm confused—who killed Kouga?" 

"Sesshoumaru."   
  


© 10/22/03, M.A.R. 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ Great news! The story is getting closer to the end! But not yet. I'm still having trouble getting them together. Romance is hard. :-P 

Since chapter 20 refused to cooperate, there are 2 chapters being uploaded today. It's a good day to be a reader. :o) 

Personal to Red Day: No problem whatsoever. It's supposed to be Miroku/Kagome, but she won't cooperate. And yes, along with everything else, she's trying to figure out who Thomas is--but he's not what anyone thinks...   


(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)   



	21. Chapter 20: Going home

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) I don't own Harry Potter either, just the books and assorted stuff, much of it being Slytherin stuff. But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name, along with Thomas Robertson. :o)   


Chapter 20: Going home

Kagome held her yellow bag gingerly, carefully avoiding the tear on its side. Miroku followed, his staff jingling with each step he took. _I wonder if what she said about Kouga is true. Inuyasha's threatened Kouga several times and she's never hinted at not returning._ He felt a tightening in his chest. _Am I jealous?_ He paused in the path and stared at Kagome's back. _Is that it? I'm jealous of _Kouga_?_

Miroku thought back to the first time the group met Kouga. He remembered how Kagome had treated the wolf prince, even going as far as protecting his tribe from the Birds of Paradise. He also remembered how she had protected him from Inuyasha. 

Other instances where Kagome had protected members of the group came to mind. Miroku frowned as he remembered each one. _Inuyasha's threatened several of us and she's never packed up and left. After a simple threat from Sesshoumaru, she's packed and gone. Stupid demon…_ He resumed his languid pace, muttering slightly. 

A different thought jumped up at him and he chuckled. _She called me 'Miro.' Miro… Sounds nice._ His amusement vanished as another thought came to him. _Thank Kami there wasn't anyone else at Kaede's when she lost it._ He stared at his cursed hand in the early morning light as he reviewed what happened earlier. _She played with my hand… And I _let_ her! What's wrong with me? Am I really _that_ desperate that I'll endanger her for a quick thrill?_ He looked up and saw her watching him, smirking. She shook her head and continued up the familiar path. _What was that about?_

Kagome broke through the trees and walked up the shallow hill towards the old well. She put down her bag carefully and sat on the well wall. Miroku sauntered up to her and she smiled. "Sorry about earlier, Miro. I didn't mean to blow up like that. I hope Kaede-baba understands." 

"Don't worry. I'll talk to her. Besides, you left materials to fix the wall." He grinned back at her, and her smile widened. 

"Miro, what would I do without you?" 

"You would be stuck with Inuyasha." 

Kagome's smile vanished and she made a face. "Gee, thanks for reminding me." She jumped off the well. "Let everyone know where everything is. Please tell everyone I said goodbye. And…" She paused. "If, well…" She sighed. "Send Inuyasha to let me know about Kouga…" Miroku nodded, and she smiled slightly. 

Kagome turned back to the well, then turned back, reached into her pocked and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Here. Take this. Give it to Sesshoumaru." She reached into another pocket. "This one's for Inuyasha. Make sure he understands it." She knelt down and grabbed her bag. "I hope things settle down here and I can come back soon, Miro. But in case I can't…" She wrestled her bag to one side and beckoned Miroku closer. He leaned forward, and she closed the gap between them and kissed his cheek. "Don't forget about me…" 

And then she was gone. 

Miroku stared at the well, one hand on his cheek. 

***** 

Inuyasha found him in the same position an hour later. "Feh, monk, what are you doing?" 

"Huh?" Miroku turned towards the voice, a dazed expression on his face. 

"What happened to you? Some unsuspecting girl say yes?" Miroku slowly shook his head, opened a piece of paper in his hand, glanced at it, and handed him the other one. He turned and slowly walked back to Kaede's, leaving a bewildered Inuyasha staring at him like he had furry dog ears on his head.   
  


© 10/22/03, M.A.R. 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ I know, I know... Short chappie, kill the author, etc. I apologize yet again for the short chappie--it refused to cooperate until the very end. That's why there's 2 chappies instead of one. :o) Thaks to all of my reviewers!   


(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)   



	22. Chapter 21: Reactions

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) I don't own Harry Potter either, just the books and assorted stuff, much of it being Slytherin stuff. But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name, along with Thomas Robertson. :o)   


Chapter 21: Reactions

Kagome climbed out of the well and used the winch her grandfather had installed at her request to bring up her backpack. "Oh, I hope Mom can mend it again…" 

"Is Kagome home?" She whirled and sped up the well house stairs, bursting out the door as her grandfather opened his mouth. "Thanks, Grandpa! I'll take it from here. " She smiled at her grandfather's bewildered expression. She gestured to Thomas and went back into the well house. "He must have missed me earlier. What's up?" When he didn't answer, she tried again. "Thomas?" She turned around. 

Thomas was not paying attention to her. He was looking around the well house. "Why are you in here?" 

Kagome looked back at him and blushed. "It's a good place to study." _Lies, lies…_

Thomas looked around once more. "But there's not enough light in here." 

"Ehehe… Okay, you got me. To tell you the truth, it's a good place to hide from my little brother. But don't tell him!" 

Thomas smiled. "Okay. I won't." His face suddenly turned serious. "Are you still mad at me?" 

She chuckled. "No, of course not." 

He released a breath. "So, how have you been?" 

"Busy." She finished cranking the winch, and dragged her bag from the bucket. "Oh, how was your test?" 

He blushed. "I passed." 

She squealed and hugged him. "I knew it! I knew it! Congrats!" She yanked at her bag again, succeeding in pulling it out, and grabbed it gingerly. She went back up the stairs and out of the well house, followed by Thomas. "Well, come on in and tell me all about it." 

***** 

Miroku arrived at Kaede's, still dazed about Kagome's decision. Inuyasha walked in behind him, asking him endless questions about Kagome. Sesshoumaru and Sango were missing, and Kouga wasn't there either. Lady Kaede was inspecting the orange energy bubble which held the children. Rin sat patiently while Shippou and Hoonomei pounded on the bubble walls. "I am glad you are back, child. This is most peculiar." 

"What's the matter, Lady Kaede?" 

The old woman turned towards them. "This floated inside my home a while ago. I cannot do anything to let the young ones out. What do you think?" 

Miroku went over to Kaede, ignoring the mutterings of Inuyasha. He looked at the bubble. "This looks like Kagome-sama's doing." He reached out with his hand. 

As soon as he touched the bubble, it popped, and the kids fell to the ground. 

Sesshoumaru arrived ten minutes later, dragging Kouga behind him and tossing him into a corner. Rin had rushed over and grabbed Sesshoumaru's leg, grinning at him and chattering about the excitement from the night before. Sango rushed in afterwards, asking about the three lost kids—but rushing over to Kouga's side after seeing him grabbing his head in the corner. Shippou and Hoonomei were asking Miroku what had happened, where Kagome was, and why were they inside that energy bubble. 

Above the din, a lone voice was heard. "So Kagome's really gone? Permanently?" 

All eyes turned to Inuyasha, who had pegged Miroku with a look. After everyone looked at him expectantly, Miroku sighed and nodded. He heard the soft whimpering of the three youngsters plus Kouga, Inuyasha's growl, and Sango's defeated sigh. 

Miroku handed Sesshoumaru Kagome's note and let everyone know what she had said before heading outside again. 

***** 

The next few weeks blurred together. Kagome went to school every day as if nothing had ever happened. Her grades went back to where they were before she was dragged down the well by Mistress Centipede. Her friends remarked several times that they were glad she was finally cured of everything that had ever plagued her. They even tried to get her to go out with Houjo a few times. 

For her own part, Kagome spent her spare time avoiding Thomas. 

As she meandered down one of the many trails in the park close to her home, she thought back to her reasons to stay as far away as possible from "that cute exchange student" as her friends repeatedly referred to him. After that afternoon when he'd almost caught her coming out of the well, she had made sure she was either busy or unavailable whenever he came near her. Something about him worried her—some of his comments and behaviors, for example—and she didn't want him to know she felt that way. Just in case. 

She came to her favorite part of the park, a secluded garden dominated by a waterfall that cascaded into a deep navy pool bordered by a low stone wall. The garden was unkempt this year, so fields of wildflowers had overtaken it. Kagome smiled to herself as she made her way over to the boulder closest to the falls. Putting down her sketchbook, she took off her shoes and socks and dipped her toes in the cool water. "Heaven…" 

She grabbed her sketchbook and opened it to a blank page. Pencil in hand, she chewed on it for a while before making a few lines on the pristine paper. She glanced up several times and looked around before sketching some more on the paper. Satisfied, she switched to the next page and started sketching again. 

She was on the fourth page when she felt the demon. 

Kagome looked up and tried to pinpoint where the demon was and which direction it was moving towards. Shutting her sketchbook, she grabbed her shoes and socks and ran after it. 

***** 

Sango caught up with Miroku sitting at the base of the well. _There he is again…_ "Miroku-sama, can we talk?" 

He grinned up at her and clutched her hand. "Lady Sango, I am thrilled you're ready to accept to bear my child!" 

*SMACK!* "Pervert!" 

Miroku rubbed the latest bump on his head as Sango shouldered her boomerang. "I came here to have a serious talk with you, and you do this! Fine, I give up. Feel free to continue pining for her by yourself, houshi-sama. I'm going back to Lady Kaede's." Sango angrily turned away and stalked off, her raven hair flying behind her. 

Miroku's grin vanished. He sighed deeply and frowned as he looked back at the well. " 'I apologize, Lady Sango, but I would rather be alone right now.' There, was that so hard?" He sighed again. "I should have said that instead, right? But no, I had to be my usual charming, annoying self. Great going, Miroku. You've finally alienated the only person in the group who was still speaking to you. You're back to being alone." He angrily stabbed his staff into the ground repeatedly, sending dirt and rocks flying in every direction. 

"Keep that up, monk, and you won't have to worry about being alone for much longer." Miroku whirled and found himself facing Sesshoumaru. An _angry_ Sesshoumaru, who was busy brushing dirt off his usually pristine clothes. Miroku cringed. "Welcome back, Lord Sesshoumaru. To what do I owe the pleasure?" 

"Never mind that. Why are you here talking to yourself, monk?" 

Miroku turned back to the well, then to the demon lord. "She's..." 

"She has not returned yet." Sesshoumaru turned away from him and started towards the village. "Rin wants to see you. She is at the old woman's house." With that, he was gone. Miroku stood and slowly followed, kicking up everything in his path with his sandals. 

***** 

Kagome had managed to slip on her shoes as she stealthily followed her prey. The dark-haired woman seemed innocent enough, but Kagome had enough scars from several innocent-looking enemies to know better. 

The woman crossed the street and went into a local clothing store. Kagome stopped briefly to put on her socks and followed her inside, catching up with the woman as she walked into the elevator. The woman shrugged and smiled apologetically at her as the doors closed. 

Backpedaling, Kagome went up the stairs and searched for the woman. After a good thirty minutes, she gave up and left the store. 

Night had fallen, and Kagome made a face at her watch. "When did it get so late? Mom will be worried." She quickly walked back through the park, which was not as inviting now as it had been earlier that day. 

She was almost out of the park when two things happened. One was the strange energy she sensed nearby. 

The other was the arm that grabbed her waist and the hand that covered her mouth, while a voice whispered in her ear, "One move and you're dead." 

Her sketchbook and pencil case fell to the ground, unnoticed. 

***** 

  
  


© 12/07/03, M.A.R. 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ *drags a potato sack behind her...* Hello again, my faithful readers. I know it's been over a month since the last update, and I apologize profusely. But before you unleash your wrath upon me, the author, I would like to do something I thought I'd never have to do. Today, I'd like to introduce... my Muse. *throws sack down* 

*sack struggles* You see, I was all set to update this chapter, when _someone_ *glares at struggling sack* decided to go off on vacation. Without my knowledge. Which meant that, as much as I wanted to revise this chapter, which was giving me trouble, I was stuck. Extremely stuck. *kicks sack* I was forced to entertain myself with other things... 

*sack bursts open* Damn you, Aphiopsyduck-- 

_Aphiopsyduck: _Now now, don't interrupt, Muse. 

_Muse: _Go to hell, you imbecile. YOU wanted to play Animal Crossing ALL the time. And YOU wanted to play FF7. And YOU were the one watching anime all the damn time to boot. Whose fault was that? 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ I had class too! And besides, you're scaring the readers. 

_Muse: _Hell, YES they should be scared. If they could look into your sick and twisted mind--Wait a sec. Stop calling me "Muse." I DO have a name. 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ And we will NOT mention it here. But anyways-- 

_Muse:_ HELL no. I want a REAL name. Now. 

_Aphiopsyduck: _*sighs* Fine. How does "Emerald Dragon" sound? 

_Muse: _*cocks head* *shrugs* Eh. It'll work. For now. 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ Fine. As I was saying-- 

Emerald Dragon: Uh-uh, no way, MY turn. Tell them about the different stories you've either begun or edited while NOT working on this one--including the one that reached 50 pages. 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ They're not reading _those_. They're reading _this_ one. 

Emerald Dragon: *smirks* Then _post_ them. 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ I will NOT! 

Ahem! *both turn to a third figure* Will you both let it go? Your readers are fleeing in droves--what few you had already, that is. *turns to audience* I do apologize. They're always like this--which is why I told Aphiopsyduck NOT to bring--what name are you using now? Oh, yes--Emerald Dragon over. _Ever_. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the latest installment of _When Muses Attack--_oh, wait, wrong story. *grin* I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter in _When Plans go Awry_, and that you return to read the rest of the chapters. *turns to author and muse* As for you two... 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ Eep! Gotta go! *runs and hides* 

Emerald Dragon: I'm not afraid of you. 

New voice: You should be. I'm the one in charge of anime and video games. *grins evilly* 

Emerald Dragon: *sighs* Fine, okay. You win. But Aphiopsyduck'd better post at least three more chapters this week... *walks off* 

New Voice: Don't mind them, they're always fighting. Anyways, I sincerely hope you liked this chapter. It seems our dear author realized part of this chapter would have worked better if moved to chapter 20, thus making that chapter longer--but by then chapter 20 had been posted, and so as to not confuse any new readers (and some returning ones) it was decided to leave as-is and maybe edit it in the future. As for the cliffhanger, the author would like to apologize and hopes that the readers will come back in a day or two to read on. 

*smiles* As for any other questions there might be, please keep on reading. All will be explained in due time. *looks at watch* Well, it is now 2:28 am, and I need my sleep. By the time you read this, it'll be either late afternoon Sunday or Monday night, depending on whether the author can finish the final class paper due Monday afternoon and/or returns from the other final at the local Alehouse. :o)   
  


(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)   



	23. Chapter 22: Past and Present Collide—Or

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) I don't own Harry Potter either, just the books and assorted stuff, much of it being Slytherin stuff. But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name, along with Thomas Robertson. :o)   


Chapter 22: Past and Present Collide—Or do they?

Kouga growled, startling everyone around him. He bounded out of the wooden hut and vanished into the woods. Inuyasha quickly followed, muttering something about wimps and Kagome. Sesshoumaru instructed Rin to stay and behave and followed after the two young men. 

Miroku looked after them, then stared at the ground again. 

"Lady Kaede, will you please look after _all_ the children? I am going out to help." Sango glanced at Miroku and walked out, lifting Kirara onto her shoulder and hefting her boomerang onto her back. 

Three small figures crowded the downcast monk. "Miroku, why don't you go help? Mama may be in danger!" 

"Kagome has all the help she needs, Shippou." 

"Come on, Shippou, We're going." Hoonomei made his way to the door, closely followed by Shippou. 

"Stop, both of you! Sango said you're not supposed to leave here!" Miroku stood. "Fine, fine. I get it. I'll go. But you have to promise to stay here and take care of the ladies." Both boys nodded. Miroku patted their heads and left the hut. All three kids grinned at each other, exchanging thumbs-ups. Lady Kaede hid a smile. 

***** 

Kagome held herself very still as she thought about what was going on. The assailant was taking her somewhere deep within the park. She looked around in the dim light, trying to figure out where she was. 

The energy she had sensed earlier was still close by. 

The assailant finally stopped at the dilapidated children's playground and dropped her. She stayed down and waited, covertly watching the man for any signs of recognition. She memorized his unkempt appearance, his wild blond hair, and his twitching face with the crooked nose, all the while conscious about the energy moving closer and suddenly stopping. 

"Empty out your pockets. Now." 

"I don't have any…" The man slapped her. "Liar! Empty them now!" 

Kagome wiped her lip. "I said, I don't have any pockets." 

The man growled. "Take off your clothes then." 

Her hands automatically clutched at her shirt collar. "No!" _If he dares to touch me, I'll kill him! But not unless I have to…_

"Take them off now!" One of his hands shot out and grabbed her arm. His fist reared back and came at her. Shutting her eyes, she waited for the blow to come. 

When nothing happened, she peeked out of one eye. And gasped. 

Thomas had grabbed the assailant's fist and had pulled it back. 

The man's twitching eyes were staring at Thomas. He suddenly dropped her and turned his attention to the newcomer. He tried to connect punches several times, but a smirking Thomas kept dodging them. _Where have I seen this before?_ Kagome paled in recognition. _This is just like when Inuyasha and Kouga fight!_, Kagome thought as she backed away from the two males. 

The man's punches had slowed down. Thomas grinned, a feral smile that made Kagome shiver. "Taking advantage of defenseless women, aren't you?" Kagome crossed her arms and glared at Thomas. _Defenseless my foot! I was taking my time!_

Thomas smirked again. "I'll teach you to pick on my friend!" He swung at the man, connecting with his jaw. As the now unconscious man went down, Thomas turned to Kagome, grinning. "Well, I'm glad my nightly run took me through the park tonight. So, are you ready to go home?" Wordlessly Kagome nodded. 

Thomas went up to her and handed her the sketchbook and pencil case, then hugged her. "Did he hurt you, Kagome-chan?" 

She shook her head. "I'm so glad to see you, Thomas." As she hugged him back, he hefted her over his shoulder and ran off in a whirlwind. 

***** 

Miroku found the others congregated around the well, arguing loudly. "I'm going!" 

"Oh, no you won't! She's MY woman!" 

"Will you two shut up? It doesn't matter WHO goes, just go already!" 

"You two are acting like immature children. Rin behaves better than the two of you." 

"What seems to be the matter, Lady Sango?" Sango turned to Miroku. "Inuyasha and Kouga are at it again. Neither wants to go, yet neither wants the other to go." 

"Since when can Kouga use the well?" Sango shrugged. "I don't think he understands where Kagome is." 

"In that case, I'll go." As he moved towards the well, it glowed. The bickering parties stopped arguing and turned to watch the light coming from the well. Seconds later, it vanished. Four noses sniffed the air. Two voices yipped and a third squeaked. 

After throwing her backpack over the low wall, Kagome climbed out of the well a minute later, freezing under the scrutiny of the group of people she clearly was not expecting to be around the well. 

The demon lord bowed at her when she glanced his way. "Welcome back, Kagome-sama." Sesshoumaru turned to Sango. "I'll be at the old woman's home." With that, he was gone. 

Kagome slowly finished climbing out of the well. As soon as her feet touched the ground, her eyes watered up. "I'm so happy to see you!" She ran past everyone and straight into Kouga's startled arms. When he realized what had happened, Kouga grinned triumphantly at everyone. 

Inuyasha and Miroku growled at the scene, startling Sango. Inuyasha bounded off into the woods, tearing up everything in his path. Miroku stalked off towards the village, muttering darkly. Sango stared after the monk, her face scrunched up in confusion. _What was THAT about?_

***** 

Kagome made her way back to the village, still clutching Kouga's arm, and still gazing at him with an adoring look. Which made Sango feel extremely uncomfortable and very angry. "Kagome-chan, what happened?" 

She shook her head. "My hero…" And nestled herself in Kouga's arms. Kouga grinned and held her tighter, winking at Sango. "See? She does want to be my woman. Why doesn't the puppy understand that?" 

Kagome giggled. "Oh, Kouga, don't be silly. Just because you rescued me doesn't mean I'll be your woman." 

Kouga stopped. _Rescued?_ "But—but—" 

"Besides, you even called me defenseless because I took too long to take care of the problem myself." Kagome released his arm, frowning. "Now that I think about it, you behaved just like…" Her frown deepened. "…Just like Inuyasha! Oh, you chauvinist pig! SIT!" 

From deep in the forest, the sound of something thumping hard onto the ground echoed. 

Sango burst out laughing as Kagome gasped and took off towards the thump sound. Kouga stared after her. "What in Kami's name just happened?" Sango linked her arm with his and went towards the village.   
  
  


***** 

  


© 12/12/03, M.A.R. 

New Voice: Hello again, readers. The author was unable to make it back in time, so the job fell onto me. It is my job to offer any insight here in the space designated as author's notes. As you can see from today's chapter, the relationship between Kagome and Thomas seems to be heating up. Which is sure to lead to trouble later. But I digress. Please make sure to review the chapter--it makes the author happy. And we all know that a happy author writes more. 

On a side note, I would like to post a quote from a recent anime I happened to catch. I don't know if it's any relevant... 

_Mario:_ They say that love had the power to overcome any adversity.   
_Beatrice:_ That is illogical. It must be some sort of mythological folktale.   
--from _Geneshaft_   


(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)   



	24. Chapter 23: Greeneyed Disease

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) I don't own Harry Potter either, just the books and assorted stuff, much of it being Slytherin stuff. But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name, along with Thomas Robertson. :o)   


Chapter 23: Green-eyed Disease

Miroku found himself next to the river. He threw down his staff, took off his robes and jumped naked into the cold water. He surfaced and scowled at the goose bumps on his arms and chest. His body shivered, and he cursed the water's temperature loudly. Going under again, he swam towards the far shore, where he only surfaced for air before going under again and swimming back to the other side. Back and forth he did this, his strokes even and effortless. 

When his limb muscles screamed at him, he flipped over and floated downstream for a long time, staring up at the night sky. He started to count the stars several times, but never could get past a hundred. Eventually he just floated, occasionally feeling something brush against him or nip at the back of his body. 

As the dawn tinged the sky pink, he climbed out of the river and made his way back to his clothes through the strangely quiet forest. He listened for a while as he crossed the forest, carefully suppressing any noise his bare feet may make, and with his hand grasping the prayer beads. 

He found his clothes right where he'd left them, along with an extremely unhappy hanyou. "We need to talk, monk." 

Miroku ignored him and went for his clothes. Inuyasha grabbed them and jumped high up a tree. "I said, we need to talk." 

Miroku glared up the tree. "There is nothing to talk about, Inuyasha. Kindly return my clothes." 

The half-demon smirked. "Make me." 

Miroku calmly looked at him, a small smile on his lips. "Perhaps I should return to the village like this. I'm sure Kagome wouldn't mind. Neither would Sango. Nor any other female there." 

His robes fell atop his head. "Feh. I don't want you scaring the children." 

Miroku put his robes back on. "Thank you, Inuyasha." He turned and started back to the village. He stopped when his staff connected with his head. "Dammit, that hurt!" 

"Feh, you deserved it. I said we have to talk. We're going to talk, whether you like it or not." Inuyasha had dropped down from the tree and now stood, arms crossed, scowling at the monk. 

"And I told you there's nothing to discuss!" He turned and started back to the village once more. Inuyasha grabbed his robes and whirled him around to face him. "Let go of me!" 

The half-demon growled. "Enough. We're going to talk about MY Kagome, monk." 

Miroku smirked, but inwardly he scowled. _Who the hell do you think you are, you sorry excuse of a male?_ "YOUR Kagome? The same one hugging Kouga last night?" 

"MY Kagome, the one you were taking away from me BEFORE last night." 

_Not this again!_ Miroku watched Inuyasha patiently, even if he wanted to shake him. Hard. "She made her choice, just like you did. Remember?" 

Inuyasha frowned, but didn't let go of the monk. "She was mine before we met you and she threw herself at you." 

Miroku bit back a smile. "If she had not wanted to throw herself at me—" 

"You know what I mean!" Inuyasha threw him to the ground. "We were fine until you came along. Then there's that damn kitsune, attaching himself to her all the time. Then my own brother gets into the picture with a damn human brat. And now that wimpy wolf did something to her." 

Miroku held back a grimace from his most recent contact with the ground. He gathered his legs under him and crossed his arms, unobtrusively snaking a hand inside his robes to rub his sore behind. "She has been gone for weeks. I don't think she even knew he was okay—unless you DID go tell her he was…?" He left the question unfinished, and Inuyasha's guilty expression was his answer. "See? If she didn't know he was okay, what the hell did he do to her from here?" 

Inuyasha scowled. _I hate it when he's right!_ "That's not the point—" 

Miroku's temper snapped. "That IS the point, Inuyasha. You're looking to blame someone for something that isn't your problem anymore. So you're losing Kagome. Big deal. You have someone else already." 

Inuyasha flinched. "But—" 

"Stop whining. You lost her the day you made your choice. Sure, she's your friend, but she's not yours anymore. Only Shippou, and perhaps Hoonomei, can claim her as their own. Whoever else tries will be met with anger and violence as you well know." Miroku breathed in and out deeply, trying to calm himself. "She must have had a reason to throw herself at Kouga. Are you going to ask her what it was, risking your neck and back in the process? Or will you let her make her own decisions?" 

Miroku slowly stood. He looked into Inuyasha's eyes, making the half-demon squirm. He then turned to the village, speaking softly but knowing Inuyasha's sensitive ears would catch what he was saying, "We have to let her choose, Inuyasha. We can't force her to. I'm not going to force her to choose, and neither should anyone else." He then walked down the wooded path, turning into the underbrush and vanishing about halfway down. 

***** 

Kagome avoided everyone taller than she was for the next few days, spending it with the three kids and listening to their stories and news. They walked through the woods together exchanging tales from the weeks she had been gone. Kagome learned that Sesshoumaru had been in a battle with another demon lord over a land dispute, that Shippou had managed to defeat a threatening bear demon by himself while shard-hunting, and that Hoonomei was much more accurate using an ice attack he'd learned. 

For her own part, Kagome told them about her friends in school, had delighted them with several bags of sweets and junk food, and even showed Rin her sketches of the little secluded garden, which had led to a barrage of questions about flowers and gardens. 

As they led her to an open field close to the next village, she thought back to that night, when she saw Thomas. _First, I sense a demon, then a strange energy, and then Thomas shows up to help me out. Why? All I wanted was a quiet afternoon in the park. What went wrong?_ She sat near the edge of the clearing and watched the kids play tag. _I'm too damn curious is the problem. If I'd stayed in the garden, nothing would have happened. _She shook her head to clear it. _Why was he there anyways? He himself mentioned he never crossed the park while running. Then why?_

Kagome thought back to Thomas' tirade outside the shrine. _He hinted at something… What was it? That Inuyasha hadn't…something. Why'd he stop? She frowned. Then there's the comments—almost straight from Miro's mouth! I was convinced that pervert was in my time somehow._ She looked at the clear blue sky. _But that night…That night it was _Kouga_ who had been there for me. Not Miro, but Kouga. Or was it? _Kagome scrunched her eyes. _Headache… Damn reincarnation, damn time travel, damn everything!_

She finally laid back on the spongy grass and watched the clouds roll by. Soon she was asleep. 

Rin ran back to the boys. "Neechan is sleeping again." All three looked at Kagome. Rin frowned. "What do you think happened to her?" 

"Mama's fine now. She's back where she belongs." 

Hoonomei watched Kagome with a thoughtful expression. "You know, she smells… different. Like a demon." 

Shippou and Rin looked at Hoonomei like he was crazy. "Neechan is NOT a demon!" 

"Shush, Rin! Do you want her to hear?" Hoonomei frowned. "I didn't say she was. But she smelled like a demon the morning she came back, before she bathed." 

"You know, I think you're crazy." Shippou stared Hoonomei down. "Mama didn't smell different. I should know; I'm her son." 

"Shippou, I know what I smelled. I'm a cat demon. So's Kirara. You're a fox demon. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru are dog demons. Kouga's a wolf demon. We know their smells by heart, so they're not strangers to us. We even know the human's smells." Hoonomei paused, watching Shippou closely. He wasn't sure how the kit would react to what he had to say. 

"Hoonomei, is neechan okay?" 

"I dunno. But I do know she smelled different." He turned abruptly and ran over to Kagome. The others followed, but stopped when he glanced back at them. Holding a finger to his lips, he bent down to look closely at their mother figure. He sniffed her and frowned again. He ran away from Kagome again, past the other two, who followed him closely. He lowered his voice. "Definitely something strange. But not demon either. I can't tell what it is, though… I could have sworn it was demon…" 

"Maybe we should tell Inuyasha." 

Shippou snorted. "That baka? All he would do is yell at her for being with someone else." 

"How about Sango-neechan?" Shippou shook his head. 

"What about Miroku-sama? He's a monk. He can help neechan." Rin smiled. 

Hoonomei shook his head. "He didn't come back again last night. No one's seen him for the past few days. Hmmm. Kaede-baba's old and wise. She can help." 

Shippou shook his head. "She can't smell Mama like we can." He sighed. "We need to tell someone who will understand." 

All three looked at each other suddenly and grinned. They ran off into the woods, leaving Kagome in the clearing fast asleep.   
  
  
  


***** 

  
  


© 12/19/03, M.A.R. 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ Hello again! I can see many of you had to put up with my voice of reason the other day. I apologize. As for the anime quote... *shakes head* I don't know what to say. That was NOT supposed to be there, but I guess he wanted to spice things up or something--I'll ask him when I see him again. As for this chappie... I left most of the details to your imagination--I'm sure you can do a much better job than I ever could. ;-) 

Now shoo. Please review before you go off to the next chappie... If you're still interested in whether these two will get together, that is. :o)   


(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)   



	25. Chapter 24: Wrapped around her finger

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) I don't own Harry Potter either, just the books and assorted stuff, much of it being Slytherin stuff. But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name, along with Thomas Robertson. :o)   


Chapter 24: Wrapped around her finger

Kagome felt something sharp poking her in the arm. "Dammit, I already helped you out with the test… You don't need me anymore…" 

"Kindly stop mumbling and wake up, woman." She started awake, almost knocking over Sesshoumaru. "What? Huh? Eh?" Looking around, she panicked. "Where are they? Oh, no! I fell asleep! Dammit!" 

"Will you be quiet? Your screeching is irritating my ears." Sesshoumaru glared at her. 

"But—" 

"They are at the old woman's home." 

Kagome turned wide eyes towards the demon lord. "Are you sure?" 

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Okay, okay, I understand." She yawned and stretched. "Why were you poking me, anyways?" 

"You were asleep." 

She frowned. "So what? Haven't you heard of shaking someone awake?" 

"You are awake, are you not?" 

Sticking out her tongue, she stood. "Never mind. Thanks for waking me." 

A clawed hand grabbed her by the arm. "You cannot leave. We have to talk." 

"SIT! What is it with you males grabbing someone to talk?" Neither noticed the distant thump from somewhere in the woods. 

"Did you forget you cannot 'sit' me, woman? And besides, I was…" Sesshoumaru paused, and twin round pink spots appeared below his eyes. 

"One can only wish. And you were what, exactly?" 

He let her go and moved under the shade of a tall maple tree, mumbling something. "I'm sorry, I thought you said you were _ordered_ to talk to me." 

Sesshoumaru frowned as he watched her approach and bite back a smile. "Tell me, oh great Lord Sesshoumaru… Who is powerful enough to force you, the Lord of the Western Lands, into doing something like this?" 

He scowled at her. _Damn slip of the tongue… _"No one forced me, woman. Now sit down." 

"Didn't we have this conversation before? My name is Kagome. Ka-go-me." She plopped down under the tree. "Join me, please. I know, I know," she said before he could reply, "you're a demon Lord and above such things, blah, blah, blah, but I'd rather not have to stare up at you. You're too tall." She grinned up at him. _She reminds me of Rin… So carefree…_

Sesshoumaru gracefully descended next to her. "Who received help with a test?" 

Kagome's cheeks turned pink. "Erm… No one." 

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow quirked upwards. "You are not a good liar." 

"And you ask too many questions." 

"I, Lord Sesshoumaru, would not let my lips betray my thoughts while sleeping." 

"Well, excuse me for mumbling!" Kagome huffed and crossed he arms, pouting. "Fine. I have a classmate who had trouble with the history test. I merely helped him learn to concentrate better. Satisfied?" 

_Him? That must be the male Inuyasha ranted about._ Sesshoumaru smirked inwardly. _I wonder…_ "Are you in the habit of helping distressed males?" Before Kagome could answer, he continued, "Because that is not the type of tutoring I want for Rin." 

As expected, her jaw dropped and she became angry. "How dare you?" 

His only response was to turn his usual blank face at her, which only served to upset her more. "You heartless bastard, how dare you insinuate that about me? I should purify your worthless hide right here." 

Sesshoumaru frowned. "I asked you a valid question. I do not understand why you are upset." 

Kagome scowled. "First of all, I'm not tutoring Rin anymore. Remember? I quit? Second of all, what I do or don't do with my classmates is none of your concern. I was doing nothing wrong with Thomas. Third, if I did not help out distressed males, that baka brother of yours would still be pinned to a tree, Shippou would be dead, Kouga's pack would have been wiped out, Miroku would be alone, and Rin would be without a tutor. So don't you dare tell me helping distressed males is wrong!" She stood suddenly and stalked off. 

She was almost to the woods when a solid wall stopped her. Looking up, she stared into Sesshoumaru's golden eyes. "I apologize." 

Kagome took two steps back and frowned. "Did—did you—" 

"Yes, I, Lord Sesshoumaru, did." He paused. "It was necessary." 

Kagome's puzzled look caused him to smirk. "What?" 

"Never mind. There are concerns about you, Kagome-sama. I was sent here to inquire as to your well-being." _And smell you…Dammit, why did I let Rin talk me into this?_

Kagome smiled. "Well, thanks but, other than being tired lately, there's nothing wrong." 

"I was not the one who fell asleep while accompanied by three small children, one of them human, far away from protection. You should be grateful someone came to find you." 

Kagome frowned. _He's right… _"Okay, okay, fine. Thank you for coming over to find me… wait a minute. How'd you know to come here?" 

Sesshoumaru remained silent. "Oh, I see." She smiled at him, and he resisted the urge to scowl at her. "Well, as you can see, I'm fine, even if I did fall asleep." 

"I disagree, Kagome-sama." He suddenly leaned closer and inhaled. _Ah, yes. They were right…_

"Ew, Sesshie!" Kagome backed away from the demon lord. "What's wrong with you?" 

Sesshoumaru merely looked at her. "If you will excuse me…" Generating his cloud, he flew off towards the village, leaving a stunned Kagome behind. 

***** 

He landed outside Kaede's, where three small figures were sitting tensely under the watchful eye of Jaken. Signaling for them to follow, he went into the woods, towards the well. Jaken stared after them, then went inside the house. 

He was almost there when a figure by the well stopped him in his tracks. He turned suddenly and glared at the kids. Rin understood and shushed her companions. 

Satisfied the kids would keep quiet, Sesshoumaru turned back to the well. He observed the figure look into the well and glance around. He then watched as the figure climbed onto the well wall and jumped in, his robes flying around his body. He sensed the magic from before emanating from the well for just an instant, then dissipate just as quickly. 

Sesshoumaru frowned. There was something peculiar going on, and he did not like it. He turned to the kids, who were watching him, yet were too far to have witnessed the monk's actions. He pointed to a different location, and the trio followed. 

***** 

Miroku had seen Inuyasha do it a million times since he'd met the half-demon and his friends, but he never thought he'd be able to pull it off. Now he looked up to find a wooden ceiling above the well, and he knew. 

This had been stupid. 

Why had it been so important for him to achieve this? What had been the point? 

_What if I'm trapped?_

He panicked. He felt his chest tighten up. Relying on his years of Buddhist training, he took several deep, calming breaths. He felt around the well wall until he found a ladder, then started climbing. Miroku frowned. _Hmmm… There's something… missing…_

He came out of the well and looked around, letting his sight adjust to the lack of light. He spotted some stairs leading to what looked like double doors. 

He made his way to the stairs. Just as he took one step up, he heard a male voice call out, "Good afternoon, sir! Is Kagome-chan home?" 

Miroku's heart stopped. He paled. 

"Kagome's sick! She has… Polio! Yes, polio! Now leave! I'll let her know you came by—Who are you again?" The older man who replied had stopped sweeping when the younger man's voice first rang out. Now he swept again, faster this time. 

"Thomas, sir. Just let her know I came by." As footsteps receded, Miroku stepped back from the stairs. Blind fury swept through him. _Who in the HELL was that?_ He clenched his hands into tight fists. 

He suddenly put his cursed hand in front of his face. _There was no air rip._ His hand didn't have a black glove around it. There were no prayer beads around his wrist. What did it mean? 

He then sighed and dropped his head onto his chest. His jaw hit something hard. With a shaking hand, he grasped what he'd hit and stifled a gasp. Lifting them up towards what little light there was, he could just make out his prayer beads, could feel their weight around his neck. He stared at his curse-free hand, then at the beads. _How had this happened? Why had it happened? When? Where?_

He sat down next to the well, alternately staring at his hand and at the beads around his neck. He chuckled, which in turn turned into a laugh, which evolved into a guffaw, until he was laughing hysterically. He didn't notice the tears that fell, drenching his robes. He didn't notice when his laughter turned into loud sobs, which reverberated inside the darkening well house. If he had been paying close attention to his surroundings, he would have noticed the sweeping sounds stopping, the sound of steps coming closer, and the sound of steps receding. 

He finally calmed down long enough to wipe his face. He looked at his hand, then at the beads. He smiled at himself. _So the air rip will go away. That is indeed good news. _Another thought came to him. _Does this mean…_

Kagome's smiling face appeared in his mind for an instant. Smiling back, he watched as she came into view at the top of the well stairs, dragging her yellow backpack inside. Looking around the courtyard, she came inside and closed the doors. As she came down the stairs, Miroku took in her long dark pants and long-sleeved blue shirt. He also noted that her hair was in a high ponytail, yet it almost touched the ground. Kagome also looked… older. 

Ignoring Miroku, Kagome threw her bag inside the well before jumping in after it. 

The well doors opened, and he was blinded by the light. _Light? But it was dark a moment ago…_ A male figure ran down the stairs with something in his hands. A confused Miroku turned back to the well and saw a smiling Kagome pop out, reach over and grab whatever the male had, peck him on the cheek, and vanish down the well again. The male stood there for an instant, shook his head, and shoved his hands inside his back pockets before heading back up the well stairs, whistling. 

Miroku almost growled, then froze. _The male had a dark glove around one hand._

Before he could do anything about it, the doors closed, and the well house plunged back into darkness. 

Miroku looked around, bewildered. _Was this one of Naraku's tricks?_

He heard another voice outside, this time a young boy's. "Grandpa! I'm home!" A door slammed in the distance, snapping Miroku out of his befuddled state. He frowned. 

_What in Kami's name have I done?_

Shaking his head, he made his way back to the well, climbed up, and jumped inside. 

***** 

He was almost out of the well when white hair flashed above him and a clawed hand reached over and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. "You are an idiot." 

"Sess—Sesshoumaru?" 

"Be grateful it was I who saw this." Sesshoumaru dragged the monk off away from the path to the village, going instead in the opposite direction. "What would that idiot brother of mine do if he had seen you achieve that which he believes can only be accomplished by him?" He threw him into the underbrush. "What would Kagome-sama say if she knew?" 

Miroku remained silent. "I see." Sesshoumaru then turned and went to the village with demon speed, coming back a minute later with a protesting Kouga, which he proceeded to throw next to Miroku. "Settle this. I will not have any of you distracting Kagome-sama while I convince her to return to her duties." He then vanished a second time. 

"Come back here! No one does that to me!" Kouga growled after Sesshoumaru, but the youkai lord was too far away to have caught what he'd said—or was ignoring it. Kouga huffed and plopped down next to the monk. "What'd he mean anyways?" 

"I do not know. Excuse me." Miroku stood, but Kouga's yank on his robes made him crash back down. "What the—" 

"Oh no you don't. We need to talk." 

Miroku reared back and punched Kouga. "That'll teach you to yank people down." 

"Ow! Why's everyone hitting me?" Kouga held his cheek, which was quickly turning a nasty shade of purple. "Kagome, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru… Now you? What's your problem?" 

"I don't have a problem!" 

"Obviously you do." Kouga poked his cheek. "Otherwise, this wouldn't be here." 

Miroku's hands fisted. "You want another one?" 

Kouga growled. "Try me." 

"I can't leave you two alone for a minute!" Both males turned to a smiling Sango, who had her boomerang on her back. "Hello. I shall be… What did Kagome call them? Referees? Anyways, I'm here to supervise this talk. So talk." 

"There's nothing to talk about! Why does everyone say that?" 

"Probably because you were moping for three weeks next to the well. And probably because you vanished for two entire days when Kagome returned. Or could it be because Kouga wants to say something to you?" Sango turned to the wolf youkai, who blushed. 

"Um, erm, eh…" Kouga smiled suddenly. "Yes. Sango insisted we tell you… Well, that is…" Kouga puffed out his chest. "Sango has agreed to be my woman." 

Miroku's jaw dropped. He turned to Sango, who was blushing. "When did this happen?" 

"If you hadn't been at the well for three weeks, houshi-sama, you might have noticed." 

"What about Kagome?" _Wait, what am I asking?_

Kouga smirked. "Unlike the puppy, I can tell when I've been defeated by another male." 

A large boulder lifted from Miroku's shoulders, and he smiled. "Does this mean you won't be able to bear my children, Lady Sango?" 

Sango hit him with the boomerang. "Pervert!" 

"You can't talk that way to my woman!" 

Miroku rubbed his head, grinning and wincing. "Sorry, I couldn't resist." He pinned Kouga with a look. "You will take good care of her. Otherwise we're all coming after you." 

Kouga grinned. "Of course I will. Then again, she can take care of herself." Kouga looked at Sango, who turned crimson. 

"Never mind me, what about you, Miroku-sama?" 

Miroku's grin vanished. He blanked his face. "What about me, Lady Sango?" 

Sango sat next to Miroku. "We all know how you feel about her, houshi. What are you going to do about it?"   


  


***** 

  


© 12/24/03, M.A.R. 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ Hello again, my readers! *ducks* Eep! Wait a sec! It's not MY fault Sango and Kouga-- *ducks again* It just HAPPENED! Go throw stuff at THEM if you're that upset! 

*mob leaves to find Sango and Kouga* 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ *sigh* Okay, fine. I'll just talk to myself then. Long chappie, huh? And as for what happened... It'll be explained in a later chappie. Promise. 

The story has been up to chapter 29 since before I vanished at the end of October. I got stuck there last time I sat down to write too, and there hasn't been any change. Unfortunately, I'll be going out of town, so I'm leaving you guys here until I return--hopefully with at least two more chapters written. I'm also leaving you with a temporary alternative, so look for a holiday-themed short story--which I hope no one has done before. :o)   


Happy Holidays! :o) 

  


(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)   



	26. Chapter 25: The more things change…

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just the video game and the two posters I bought… :o) I don't own Harry Potter either, just the books and assorted stuff, much of it being Slytherin stuff. But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishou's name, along with Thomas Robertson. :o) 

_Aphiopsyduck: _The return of this story is dedicated to the five people who have this story under Author's alert. Thanks for sticking around! :o)   
  


Chapter 25: The more things change…

Dinner turned into World War 3 the next night. 

Inuyasha announced his desire to return to searching for the shards "now that the bitch is back here to actually work—" before his silhouette on the floor was all that was left of the hanyou. 

Sesshoumaru begrudgingly accepted to tag along, "to watch over Rin, since this lot is dangerous to itself…" 

Kagome made a quick trip home for supplies, ignoring the grunts and grumbles from the hole in the floor. Which turned to outright growling when Miroku declared he would walk her to the well. 

Sango exchanged a glance with Kouga and nodded to Sesshoumaru, who frowned and sniffed the air. "I smell clay and bones…" All three smiled when Inuyasha bolted from the cabin. 

"Rin, outside." Rin nodded and went outside, followed by Jaken. Sango smiled at Shippou and Hoonomei. "Boys, why don't you go outside and watch Rin?" 

Shippou swished his tail. "Do you think I'm stupid? I know you're trying to get rid of us. Uh-uh. No way. We're not leaving." Crossing his arms, he frowned at the 'adults.' 

Hoonomei grinned and copied Shippou. "We're not going anywhere." 

Sango sighed. "Fine. But you must be quiet." At their nod, she turned to the others. "What are we going to do?" 

"I do not believe we should interfere." 

"Shows how much you know about relationships." Sango stuck out her tongue at Sesshoumaru. He frowned. 

"I want my woman to—erm, I want Kagome-sama to be happy." Kouga smiled sheepishly at Sango. "Sorry. Force of habit." 

"Lady Sango…" All turned to Kaede, who was frowning. "Are ye sure about this?" 

"Kaede-baba, Miroku hasn't groped me or any other female in over two months. He spends his time either with Kagome or looking forward to her return. When she came back and hugged Kouga, he vanished from the group and disappeared for days." 

"He refuses to discuss her at all." The group turned to Sesshoumaru, surprised. He met their gazes coolly. "Do you expect me, Lord Sesshoumaru, to ignore what goes on around me? Oftentimes, I have come around to find him pensive and downcast. It bothered me, since he is supposed to be protecting Rin from the half-breed." He paused, unsure of himself for the first time in his life. "Yesterday he did something completely out of character." He paused again, listening. He pinpointed Rin yanking something from the ground, Jaken tapping his two-headed staff impatiently close to her, and Inuyasha's distant racing through the woods, trying to locate his undead miko. Satisfied, he related what he had seen by the well, glaring at the two young demons to keep it quiet. "When I yanked him from the well, he was pale and trembling. I do not know what happened to him." 

Kouga was stunned. "He did WHAT?" Sango smacked him in the arm. "Lower your voice, Kouga-kun." 

Hoonomei frowned. "That explains it…" All turned to the cat demon. "Well, about a week after Kagome-sama left, I was coming back from practicing when I saw Inuyasha jumping down the well several times. He would come out grumbling and jump in again. I finally asked him what was the matter, and he pushed me away, telling me to not say anything before he left." 

"I seem to remember him being more upset than usual." Kouga's easy smile dropped slightly. "And here I thought it was because of me…" 

"Kouga…" The wolf demon smiled at Sango. "Sorry, but it's true. You know he hates me." 

"This leads us nowhere. All ye know for sure is that Miroku-sama is infatuated with Lady Kagome." Kaede stirred the coals. "Unless there is something more, you will have to rely on his word that there is nothing going on between them." 

"But there is." Shippou, who had been strangely quiet, now looked at everyone. "Whenever she leaves, she comes back and fights with Inuyasha. But since Rin came, she doesn't. She ignores him. Unless he's mean to her or to Rin." Sesshoumaru growled. "He what?" 

Shippou dismissed the demon lord's anger. "It happened only once." The fox demon grinned. "After what she did to him, he's stayed very far away from her and Rin." Shippou's face turned thoughtful. "Lately, she's been acting weird around Miroku." 

"Both turn red a lot." All turned to the door, where Rin was dragging Jaken inside and thrust the bouquet in her hand at Sesshoumaru. "Is that bad? Maybe they're sick." 

Kouga put his arm around Sango. "Why don't we let Sango answer that?" The demon exterminator turned red and ducked her head. "You're gonna pay for that, you insensitive wolf…" 

Sesshoumaru frowned. "I told you to go outside." 

Rin settled in Sesshoumaru's lap, still holding on to Jaken's arm. "I know, Father, but I want to help Kagome-neechan." Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, froze at her words. _Did she just call me 'Father'?_

Oblivious to what was happening around her, Rin asked, "Well, if turning red is not bad, then why do they act like it is?" 

_Out of the mouths of babes…_ "So what do we do?" 

Sesshoumaru's attention returned. "They're coming. Tomorrow night." All nodded as Inuyasha crashed through the door muttering darkly, followed by Kagome, and finally Miroku, who carried the supplies. 

***** 

The group set out early the next morning towards the Western Lands, following reports that a water demon was wrecking havoc on a village. Since Sesshoumaru's attempts were successful, Rin would be tutored again by Kagome, which delighted the little girl to no end. Today she spent her time near Kagome asking endless questions, which the teenager answered patiently. Miroku walked in front of her, wearing the green backpack Kagome brought along whenever the yellow one needed repairs. Occasionally he offered answers, which made the child laugh and Kagome smile at him. 

Sesshoumaru had taken off with Jaken the night before, saying something about "Must return home…patrol…check borders…reports…meetings…" 

Sango dropped back from the group, dragging Kouga along with her. After making sure Inuyasha couldn't hear them, she whispered, "See?" pointing at her friends. Kouga nodded. "I know, but what can we do? There's no other proof." 

Shippou had dropped from his usual perch on Inuyasha's shoulder. He inconspicuously made his way over to Sango and Kouga, climbing onto the wolf's shoulder. "What's the plan?" 

"Hey! Get a move on, dammit!" All three startled at Inuyasha's angry scream, which brought giggles from Kagome and Rin and a smirk from Miroku. Shrugging and shaking their heads, all three rushed to join the group again. 

***** 

Rin sat with Sango during lunch. "Neechan, can you come with me?" 

Sango looked at Kagome, who smiled. "Go. I don't mind." She then went back to her discussion with Miroku over a book in her hand. Shippou and Hoonomei argued, both pointing at the book. Inuyasha had gone ahead to gather news about the water demon. 

Sango shrugged and took the girl's hand. Kouga moved to tag along, but she shook her head. "Girl talk, right?" At the girl's nod, Kouga relented. "Okay, but call if you need me." He then grabbed her and kissed her thoroughly, which earned them catcalls and cheers from the group. Blushing deeply, Sango dragged a laughing Rin into the woods. 

"What did you want to talk about?" Both had settled on a fallen log, and Rin was swinging her short legs back and forth. "Rin?" 

"Sesshoumaru-sama says we need to make Kagome-neechan happy." The swinging stopped. 

"How?" 

The girl paused. "Well… Shippou-chan has an idea…" 

***** 

Kagome noticed that Rin and Sango were gone a long time. Leaving a napping Miroku under a tree, she moved over to where Kouga seemed to be sleeping. The claw he kept flexing every few seconds told her he wasn't. "Kouga-kun?" 

His eyes snapped open and he grinned. "Yes?" 

Kagome blushed, embarrassed. "So… You and Sango, huh?" 

Kouga's grin changed into a warm smile. "Yeah. She's beautiful and powerful. She'll be a great mate." The grin returned. "Unless you're still willing to be my mate…" 

"Kouga!" She smacked him playfully. 

"Oh, that's right. You're the puppy's mate." His grin turned teasing. "Too bad. You need a good mate—like me." 

Kagome smiled at him. "You know I'm not Inuyasha's mate." 

His grin vanished. "They why are you still with him? And don't tell me it's because of the jewel." His clawed hand grasped hers and drew her closer, until his lips grazed her ear. "You deserve better and you know it." His only reply was the sharp intake of air at his whispered words, so he went on. "He loves you. Forget the puppy and grab happiness by the tail. Or the staff." 

Pulling back, he grinned at her stunned face. He leaned close, touching foreheads with her and staring deep into her eyes. "You know I'm right. Do something about it." Kissing the tip of her nose, he stood and wandered into the woods in the direction Sango had taken. 

Kagome placed her hands on her cheeks, feeling the warmth that let her know she was blushing. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths to calm herself down. 

When she opened them again, they collided with Miroku's for an instant before he turned away from her. 

***** 

  


© 4/02/04, M.A.R. 

_Aphiopsyduck:_ Hello, my faithful readers! Glad to see all six--no, wait five of you still hopeful readers! *HUGS* Thanks for sticking around while my muse returned from vacation. 

Sadly enough, that's what happened here. The muse in charge of this particular story decided to go on an extended vacation back in December. It sent a replacement, of course--who proceeded to feed this author another story. *shakes head* Scary, what those muses can do to a creative person... 

Well, surprise surprise. Muse dropped by the other day, and left me with this fixed chappie. Hope it was worth the wait. :o) 

Anyhoo. Cliffie, I know... But stick around. It should get better. Soon. Later I'll dedicate a chappie to those five brave souls with this drivel on Author watch. :o) 

Bye! :o)   


(More or less) Permanent A/N: *sweatdrops…* Ehehe… First fanfic… If nothing else, it's a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don' really know where it's going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)   



	27. Chapter 26: Scheming

Disclaimer: I dont own Inuyasha, just the video games and the two posters I bought :o) I don't own Harry Potter either, just the books and assorted stuff, much of it being Slytherin stuff. But I DO own Hoonomei and Ryu Hishous name, along with Thomas Robertson. :o) 

This chapter is dedicated to the 6 brave souls who have my story on their watch list, and to the 3 who have me on their favorites.

Personal to Strata's Stargazer: fellow author Sandra E got me (and SEVERAL others....) hooked to Miroku/Kagome stories, so feel free to visit her for more Mir/Kag. Also, check out my "Favorite stories" page for more M/K authors (Horridporrid, Chiisai-tori, and Bittersweet Mika, for example).   
Lastly, check out my info page for a link to a website that features all M/K, all the time. :o)

Chapter 26: Scheming

You did WHAT?

Kouga cringed at Sangos shrill scream. I thought I was helping!

Well, obviously, you were wrong!

I do not understand why you are upset. He merely told her what he thought.

Which is exactly what he shouldnt have done! Sangos defeated sigh crushed Kougas heart. Doesnt matter. Its over now.

The trio of would-be conspirators had managed to take advantage of Kagomes tutoring session, Mirokus daily mysterious disappearance to sulk, and Inuyashas information search/meeting with Kikyo. All three had left camp at different intervals in different directions, met up again well away from prying eyes and big ears, and were now discussing their latest pet project: Kagome and Miroku.

That does not make sense. Why would it be over?

He probably thinks Kougas taking two mates.

But Im not!

Sango ignored him. Or worse, that hes leaving me and taking Kagome.

Maybe they should speak again.

Sango shook her head. Doesnt matter what Kouga-kun says. Its what everyone saw. She still remembered how Shippou and Hoonomei had come to her and told her what Kouga had done while she was with Rin.

Im not leaving you, and I dont want two mates! Well, not anymore. Grinning, he threw an arm around a blushing Sango.

Even if that were true, what is wrong with two mates? _Wait a minute! What am I, Sesshoumaru, asking?_ Sesshoumaru paused, then smirked. Two strong mates, of course. _Saved!_

He looked at Sango and frowned. _Why is she grinning at me?_

I suggest you sit down, Sesshoumaru. I wouldnt want you killing anyone in the future.

I do not kill without a purpose.

Sango snorted. Wait a few years, then come talk to me.

What is that supposed to mean?

Kouga grinned at the demon lord.  I think shes referring to Rin

Sesshoumarus brows shot up. Excuse me?

Forget that for now! Havent you noticed theyre not speaking anymore? Or that he avoids her altogether?

He is frightened of losing her. It is understandable.

What are you babbling about? He almost HAD her!

Exactly. Almost. Sesshoumaru paused and watched his two conspirators. Sango was agitated and miserable, while Kouga was remorseful and excited. Kouga had Sangos hand in his, and was unconsciously making circles on her wrist with his thumb. _Theyre in sync with each other already. _Something that Sango said earlier clicked. _Is this what I have to look forward to with Rin? Watching her mate with some unworthy mate without doing anything about it?_ He smothered a sigh. _Raising pups is hard_ The monk has watched Kagome suffer because of Inuyasha far too long. He then believes Kouga is a threat, yet lets that problem solve itself. Just when he is about ready to make his move, Kouga seems to be making another move towards Kagome, even though he is with you, Sango-sama. The demon lord paused. _Why am I, the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, explaining all of this? Baka humans_ He thinks all is lost. He has given up. He probably awaits the day his air rip takes him because it offers him a reprieve from his feelings. I do not believe defeating Naraku would make any difference at this juncture. He lost what he wants, so he does not care about anything anymore.

Sango and Kouga looked at him strangely. What is the matter?

Sango shook her head and smiled. That actually made sense, Lord Sesshoumaru. Looking around, she motioned both males closer. Shippou has an idea

Sango-chan, may I borrow Kirara? I need to go home. _Dont look at anyone, dont look at anyone_

The group looked up from dinner at Kagome, who refused to look at anyone else but Sango. Sure. Sango held out Kirara and Kagome reached for her, grateful.

Feh, were very far from the well. If something happens to you, dont come crying to me.

Shippou jumped in front of her and puffed out his chest. Ill go with you, mama. I can protect you, unlike some half-demons

What did you say, brat?

You are annoying, half-breed.

Say that to my face! Inuyasha was pulling out Tetsusaiga.

I believe I just did. Sesshoumaru had his light whip ready.

Bye-bye, Kagome-neechan! Kagome ignored the fighting behind her and climbed onto a transformed Kirara. She turned to wave at Rin when her eyes met with Mirokus. She gave him a tentative smile, which he didnt return. She turned away from him and hugged Kiraras neck, whispering to the fire cat. Shippou held on to Kagomes shoulder as Kirara took off into the night.

Kirara landed in front of Kaedes dark home. Wait here, Shippou-chan. Kagome climbed down and went inside. Moments later she came out again and climbed onto Kiraras back. Lets go to the well, Kirara.

After a short trip, Kirara landed next to the well. Kagome climbed down and waited for Kirara to transform to its smaller size. Can you wait here with Shippou? Kirara chirped and curled up into a ball, promptly falling asleep.

Shippou climbed onto the well wall. Are you okay, mama?

Kagome hugged the kitsune tightly, whispering Yes, sweetheart.

She let go of him. Wait here. If Im not back by morning, go on back without me. Before he could protest, she covered his mouth with her hand. Im serious, Shippou. Leave if Im not back. He mumbled a question against her palm, making her smile. Okay, a week. But no less, okay? At his nod, she removed her hand and hugged the kit again. I love you, Shippou-chan

Tears formed on the kitsunes eyes as he hugged her back. I love you too, mama

Ruffling his head, she jumped into the well and vanished.

After wiping his tears, Shippou settled against Kirara and grinned. This is better than expected

Kagome climbed out of the well and went into the house, making her way upstairs, and careful not to wake anyone there.

Quietly opening the door to her room, she went inside, closed the door gently, turned around and screamed.

Kagome! Whats the matter?

Clutching her chest, Kagome frowned at her mother. You scared me, mom! After turning on the light, Kagome made her way to her bed and sat next to her mother. Why are you sitting here in the dark?

Her grandfather and brother burst through her door and rushed inside. Whats the matter? Mama, are you all right?

Yes, Im fine. I scared Kagome. Why dont you go back to bed? Its all right now.

Are you sure its Kagome? I better get some sacred seals As her grandfather left the room, Kagome blushed. Grandpa!

Hey, sis, your homeworks on the desk, and that creepy Thomas guy has been coming around a lot. Want me to take care of him?

Kagome smiled. _Just like Shippou_ Its okay. Hes harmless.

Okay, but just say the word Souta yawned and headed back to his room.

Kagome marched over and shut the door, leaning against it. Why me?

Is there anything the matter?

Mom, why were you sitting here in the dark?

Her mother turned towards the window. To be honest, I was waiting for you.

But mom, I didnt even know I was coming until earlier.

Turning back to her, her mother smiled. A mother knows. Would you like some hot cocoa?

Nodding, Kagome followed her mother out of her room and downstairs into the kitchen. Kagome sat on a stool and watched as her mother gathered the ingredients, mixed them together, heated the cocoa, served it, and brought two steaming cups to where Kagome sat, placing one in front of the teenager.

So tell me, sweetheart, who is he?

Kagome chocked on her cocoa. What?

Kagomes mother smiled at her flustered daughter. _This will be a long night_

By dawn Kagome hadnt returned, so Shippou woke Kirara. Both headed back to camp.

Kagome awoke the next day grumbling. She dressed in her uniform, and was almost out the door before a laughing Souta reminded her that it was Sunday.

After chasing him around the house with the intent of becoming an only child, Kagome changed clothes and headed to the mall. She was almost to the door when she sensed the strange energy behind her. Whirling, she collided with Thomas. Oh! Sorry!

Holding her steady, Thomas grinned. No harm done. Glad to see youre feeling better already. I didnt know you could recuperate from polio this quickly.

_Polio? Grandpa_ Ehehe Yeah, it was a mild case. Anyways, I wont stop you any longer. Im sure youre extremely busy. Stepping aside, she waited for Thomas to go by. When he didnt, she inwardly groaned.

Thats okay. Its my duty as a gentleman to accompany a lady when she is out shopping. Besides, you might need help carrying your purchases.

Kagome smirked. You sound like someone from the last century.

Wiggling his eyebrows, he grinned at her. I know. It drives women wild.

Groaning at his antics, Kagome resigned herself to Thomas company for the rest of the day.

Kagome spent the week going to school. Houjo was even more annoying than usual, now that he had found a girlfriend that you just have to meet! Sweet, adorable Kagome had gritted her teeth and met with the girl, a year behind them in school, and had endured her friends cutting remarks about the girl taking Houjo from you! Who does she think she is? She even endured Thomas teasing her about losing her pseudo-boyfriend to a cute young thing, which upset Kagome to no end because it wasnt true. If Kagome analyzed her feelings closelysomething she was trying to avoid lately she would find something akin to envy of the girl, but since it had nothing to do with Houjo-kun, she chose to ignore it.

That Saturday evening, Kagome was extremely glad to be headed back to the Feudal Era, even if it meant dealing with a moody monk and an angry half-demon.

That last thought made Kagome pause in packing her third backpack, a small black and red one. _Strange Inuyasha hasnt come by to yell at me because Im not there. In fact, he didnt come back last time, either. I wonder_

A lighting bolt lit up the sky outside her window, startling Kagome. Chuckling at her own foolishness, she went back to packing her bag.

Shippou waited by the well with Kirara. It was a week later, and he was waiting for Kagome, just like his mama had said. Hoonomei had tagged along, and was chasing a bird around the well, ignoring the charged atmosphere. Shippou hoped the storm wouldnt break before they could get back to the group.

The others had remained deep in the Western Lands, because were not going back for that bitch! She went off alone and she can come back alone for all I care!

Hoonomei could have sworn hed heard Miroku mutter something akin to damn hanyou but since Miroku never used that kind of language, hed shrugged it off.

The well became charged with magic, and a minute later Kagome came out, wearing black jeans and a long-sleeved dark blue sweater. On her back was a red and black bag, which Shippou almost tore off, screaming Candy! like a madman.

Laughing, Kagome tore off the frantic kitsune. Hello to you too, Shippou! Hi, Hoonomei!

Hi, Kagome-neechan. How was your trip home?

Kagome made a face. Boring. I missed you guys.

I missed you too, momma!

Youre already getting candy, Shippou-chan.

Shippou grinned. I know. But I still missed you.

Kagome smiled at him, and then looked around. Wheres everyone?

Still in the Western Lands, looking for the shard.

Kagome hid a frown. _Weird_ Well, we better go and help. Kirara, please?

Kirara transformed into its larger size and, after Kagome and the pups climbed on, took off and headed towards the overcast Western Lands.

© 1/10/05, M.A.R.

_Aphiopsyduck:_ Hello, my faithful readers! Another cliffie, I know... But there's some action in the next chappie, so stick around! :o)

In other news, this chapter was ready for posting since April of last year. I blame meeting my own Miroku for the delay. sheepish grin Long story short, we've been together since May of last year, and fanfics take on a different meaning when you're involved with one of the characters. Well, a mix of my 3 Inuyasha favorites: Miroku, Sesshoumaru, and Kouga.

Bye! :o)

(More or less) Permanent A/N: sweatdrops Ehehe First fanfic If nothing else, its a test run, since this will be my first real fanfic posted anywhere. I don really know where its going though, so please bear with me. Reviews are welcome, and flames will be used on undead mikos who refuse to leave our heroes alone. :o)


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